Long Way Around
by turtleback
Summary: This is my offering for a Post Season 2 finale story. Jane deals with the fallout from shooting Doyle. Maura searches for her birth mother. Final chapter posted!
1. Chapter 1

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 1**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

_**A/N: This is my offering for a Post Season 2 finale story. It will be multi-chapter, although I'm not sure how many chapters. If you have read my other stories you know that I am all about Rizzles, but it may take awhile to get there.**  
><em>

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><p>Jane sat in the corner of the surgical waiting room. Dean was in surgery for the gunshot wound to his leg. Jane had told the nurses that she was Boston police and Dean's fiance so that they would keep her up to date on his condition and she would be able to see him. He wasn't in serious danger, just a little tissue and muscle damage. Which was good because Jane fully intended to throttle him as soon as she got the chance and didn't want him to be incapacitated in any way when she did it.<p>

That was her excuse for sitting in this waiting room. Anger. Anger at Gabriel Fucking Dean for setting in motion this whole chain of events. Anger that she actually slept with this asshole and then she trusted him enough to reveal information that could have put Maura in danger. He said he wasn't following her, so he must have followed either Doyle or Maura to the warehouse. Either way, Jane asked him not to do anything until she gave the okay and he went after Doyle anyway. If Dean hadn't been there in the warehouse things could have turned out so differently.

Jane should have been with Maura, or with Constance, or even with Doyle. Instead she was sitting alone without one fucking clue what she was supposed to do. Jane didn't understand why Maura was so angry with her. Jane wasn't trying to kill Doyle but she was trying to do her job. Doyle was a criminal. He was a murderer responsible for countless murders. Maura had never shown anything other than anger and disgust towards her sperm donor until today.

Jane's phone was turned off. She didn't want to talk to Cavanaugh, or Korsak, or Frankie, or the FBI or whoever else was probably trying to find her. She just wanted to sit here and be angry for as long as she able to before the rest of fucking life caught up with her.

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><p>Maura sat next to her mother's hospital bed. Patrick Doyle was in surgery in the same hospital. When the EMT's arrived at the warehouse, Maura directed them to take Doyle here because it was the highest level trauma center in the city and the one in which Maura had the most connections. Maura was able to stay updated on his condition despite the wall of police officers and FBI agents outside his room. The fight over which agency got to claim responsibility for arresting Doyle had already begun, despite the fact that his chances of survival were extremely low. Maura didn't know and didn't care to which hospital Agent Dean was transported.<p>

Constance was eating dinner that Maura had brought her from a nearby cafe. She was much more lucid than earlier in the day when Doyle had been here in her room. Maura hadn't told Constance about Doyle getting shot yet. She needed some answers from her first and was contemplating how to start. Maura was jolted from her thoughts by her mother's voice.

"Maura, darling, are you okay?"

Maura took a deep breath and began, "Earlier today, when you woke up, you asked if Patrick was here. I don't want you to try to lie to me or hide anything from me right now, so I will just tell you that I know who Patrick Doyle is and he was here earlier today when you were sleeping."

"How?" was all Constance said in return.

"There was a man who was murdered about a year ago and we didn't have any identification for him. When I ran his DNA through our database he came up as a match to me. He was my half-brother. I met Patrick then and I learned who he was. Before today I had only seen him one other time since then."

Constance was confused. "Why are we talking about this now? What's happened?"

"The car that hit you...it wasn't an accident. He was trying to hit me."

"Patrick-" Constance started.

Maura shook her head. "The hit and run wasn't related to him. I found evidence that the fire at the warehouse we were investigating was arson. The person who set the fire was trying to kill me, but we didn't know who it was. We set a trap for him that involved thinking he found me alone in the warehouse. Patrick must have followed me to protect me. If he hadn't been there I might have been killed. Jane and Frost were also there, but they may not have been able to protect me in time. There was also an FBI agent at the warehouse."

Maura winced involuntarily, knowing that Jane told Agent Dean about her connection to Doyle. She still didn't know how Dean ended up at the warehouse, but if he hadn't been there things probably would have gone a lot differently. "Patrick was shot. He's in surgery right now. I don't know if he's going to make it."

"Darling," Constance started but didn't know what to say.

"Why was he here visiting you? He seemed to really know you. I don't understand."

"Patrick loves you. He gave you up for adoption because he wanted to protect you from him and from his life. That's why it was a private adoption, so it couldn't be traced to him. But he was involved in the adoption process. He wanted to make sure you went to the right people. He wanted to make sure you had the life he couldn't give you. And he also wanted to make sure he would be able to get information about you as you grew up."

"He had pictures of me," Maura said.

Constance nodded. "We gave him pictures and updates on your achievements. We told him about graduations and other events. He was always so proud of you. Maura, you've never asked about your biological parents before."

Maura struggled to hold back her tears. "I didn't want to upset you. You and father are my parents and I would never think any differently. But biology undeniably plays a part in the people we are. I can't help but be curious about what traits I get from my biological parents." Maura paused and said more quietly, "What do you know about my biological mother?"

"She was so young. Patrick was determined to protect you. She didn't want to give you up, but she was also proud and stubborn. She was about to start college and couldn't afford to raise you on her own but she wouldn't take Patrick's money. We sent her pictures and updates, just like we did to Patrick, but after a few years she asked us not to. It was too painful for her. We don't know where she is now."

"What's her name?" Maura asked.

"Hope."

There was a knock on the door. Maura hastily wiped the tears from eyes and face and said "Come in," expecting to see a nurse enter.

Instead a man in a dark suit came into the room. "Dr. Maura Isles?"

"Yes?" Maura answered.

He flashed his badge and said, "The FBI has some questions for you. Would you please come with me?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 2**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

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><p>"Since when did you get engaged?"<p>

Jane had been sitting hunched over in the surgical waiting room with her head in her hands. She straightened up and found Korsak grinning at her. She ran her fingers through her hair before saying, "I wanted to make sure I was able to stay up to date on his condition."

"You didn't think the police badge would do it for you?" Jane just glared at Korsak so he asked, "How is Gabriel?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "_Agent Dean_ got shot in the leg. He's fine."

"What the hell happened in there, Jane?"

"I wish I fucking understood. Dean followed either me, or Maura, or Doyle to the warehouse. Doyle must have followed Maura. He must have figured out the hit and run was aimed at her and wanted to protect her. Doyle was up on a catwalk and shot the firefighter when he pulled a gun on Maura. Honestly, if he wasn't there...we might not have protected Maura in time. Dean jumped out of hiding and shot Doyle, who shot Dean in the leg. And then... fuck, Doyle was just standing there with a gun. I shot him in the abdomen, just to wound him, you know, but he fell off the catwalk, and Maura...Maura..." Jane trailed off. "Why are you here, anyway Korsak?"

"The FBI took Maura in for questioning."

"Fuck," Jane growled. "Why are you here telling me instead of trying to help her?"

"I don't have any pull with the FBI but I thought you did," Korsak responded, raising his eyebrows.

"Yesterday, I asked Dean for a favor, to not go after Doyle until I said it was okay. But he fucking did anyway. I don't trust him."

"Why are you here waiting for him then?"

"Because when he's out of surgery I'm going to strangle him, and...shit, I don't know where else to go."

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><p>Maura stared at the FBI agent who was standing in her mother's hospital room and clearly expecting her to jump right up and follow him. She took her time answering. "I'm sorry agent but now is not really a good time. My mother was in a serious accident and I want to be here with her."<p>

"Maura, darling, I'm fine, you go ahead," Constance chimed in.

Maura whipped her head towards her mother and glared at her, and Constance looked back in shock. She should have been prepared for that. In her mother's world you go talk to law enforcement to clear up any misunderstandings, not because you could be in any serious trouble. Still looking at her mother, Maura said, "I'm not going to leave the hospital right now. If you can find a room on this floor we can use I will go with you now."

"We are already set up down the hall, Dr. Isles," he answered.

Maura narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine." She rose and not bothering to look back at Constance, said, "I'll be back soon, mother."

Maura followed the FBI agent down the hall to an office the FBI had appeared to have taken over. Their efficiency was unnerving. It made Maura wonder how much they knew about her connection to Patrick Doyle. Or her mother's connection. When did Jane first tell Dean what she knew about Doyle anyway? How long had the FBI known where Doyle was and how long were they tracking him? Maybe Dean knew everything without Jane having to say anything.

Maura internally shook her head. It didn't matter how many times Jane had betrayed her, the fact was she had. Jane shot her father. Just when Maura had seen more than a glimmer of the good man Patrick Doyle could be. Just when Maura began to think that maybe there was a place for him in her life, that maybe she wanted to get to know him better. And he had offered to give her more information about her birth mother and Jane may have taken that away from her.

Maura sat down in the offered chair on one side of the room and set her jaw. The man who led her to the room left and the remaining agents in the room introduced themselves as Special Agent Rivera and Special Agent Wilson.

Agent Rivera leaned against the wall across the room. Agent Wilson sat down in a chair in front of her and said, "Dr. Isles, how long have you been meeting with Patrick Doyle?"

Maura steeled herself. She had seen plenty of interrogations before. She had been cross-examined countless times by defense attorneys during trials. But she had never been accused of breaking the law. Jane always told her, if she was ever arrested, don't talk. No matter what. No matter what you are accused of or how innocent you are, don't say anything without an attorney. "Am I being charged with a crime?"

"We don't know yet. We are just trying to get some information about your relationship with Patrick Doyle."

"I have nothing to tell you," Maura responded.

"Would it help if we arrested you and charged you with something?" Agent Rivera interjected.

Maura stood up. "No, it wouldn't. If you find something to arrest me for, you know where to find me. Either way, I will not be answering any of your questions without a lawyer present."

Maura started towards the door but Agent Rivera moved to stand in front of it. "Dr. Isles, the FBI has had Patrick Doyle under surveillance for two years. We have confidential informants within his organization and within rival organizations. We know you have had several meetings with him and we know he is your biological father. I suggest telling us what you know now."

"So you know that the first time I met Patrick Doyle he kidnapped me? And the second time he held me hostage within my own home? Gentleman, if you are going to arrest me, do it. If not, I need to get back to my mother." Agent Rivera stood aside from the door and Maura exited.

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><p>A nurse came into the waiting room to tell Jane that she could go see Dean. Jane sent Korsak to check on Maura and went into Dean's' room. Jane pulled a chair to the foot of the bed and sat down. "Are you lucid?" she asked.<p>

Dean half grunted, half laughed. "I feel okay, but that could be the painkillers talking."

"What the fuck were you doing there?"

"The FBI has been up on Paddy Doyle's organization for over a year. We've built a rock solid case to take him and most of his top lieutenants down. We've had him under near constant surveillance for a few months and when he went to the warehouse we thought something was going down. That's why I was there. I didn't follow you. I didn't know you were going to be there."

"You didn't think to mention any of this stuff to me earlier? Like when we were naked in bed together. I thought I was telling you something in confidence but you already knew where Doyle was."

Dean shock his head. "I'm sorry but I couldn't compromise our operation. I didn't know if I could trust you."

"Funny, because I trusted you." Jane laughed bitterly. "You didn't come back to Boston for me. You came back for Doyle."

"Jane, don't be like that."

Jane stood up and before leaving said, "Fuck you Gabriel. You ruined everything good in my life. You're just another prick in a suit. If I can find a way to screw you over anytime in the future, I'm gonna do it."

Jane stepped out into the hallway of the hospital and wondered where the fuck she was supposed to go next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 3**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

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><p>Jane stood outside Agent Dean's hospital room and thought about what he told her about the FBI operation against Doyle. With Patrick Doyle in the hospital, the FBI was probably moving against the rest of his crew now. Other mob families would be trying to quickly fill the void left by Doyle. That meant everyone connected to Doyle was in danger as other families sought to consolidate power. She needed to see Maura.<p>

Jane went two floors down to Constance Isle's room and knocked softly on the door. She heard someone say "Come in." Inside she found Constance alone.

"Hi Mrs. Isles, how are you feeling?" Jane asked.

"Please call me Constance, Jane. Considering I was hit by a car, I think I'm doing okay. How are you though? Maura told me what happened at the warehouse."

Jane took Maura's seat by the bed and said, "She did?" Jane asked surprised.

"Well, I don't think she gave me all the details. She did tell me Patrick was shot. She left a little while ago to talk to the FBI."

"So you know Patrick Doyle?" Jane asked.

"Yes, I do. I realize that must be somewhat confusing, but I know him quite well," Constance answered.

"I mean you know what he...does for a living?"

"Yes, but that has never been important for my relationship with Patrick. I have Maura because of him and that is all that has ever mattered to me," Constance said resolutely.

Jane sighed. "He's at the top of the FBI's Most Wanted list. The FBI Agent who was in the warehouse with us betrayed my trust. He shot Doyle. But when Doyle returned fire and shot the agent, I shot him. I shot Patrick and I don't know if Maura will ever forgive me for that."

Jane paused to gather herself, running her hands through her hair. She sat forward on the edge of her chair and looking directly in Constance's eyes said, "But that isn't the most important thing right now. Maura is in danger. The FBI knows about her connection to Doyle so that means anyone could. Doyle's enemies will be trying to take control of his operations right now and anyone connected to him is a target. That means both of you need protection. If Maura won't listen to me about her safety you have to make her listen to you."

"I'll listen," a voice said from behind Jane.

Jane stood and turned around. "Maura? Are you okay? What did the FBI want?"

Maura waved her off. "I'm fine. I'm not sure what exactly the FBI wanted other than to harass me. I refused to talk to them, just like you always told me. I am still absolutely furious with you but I agree that it is time to take every precaution. My mother will probably need to be here a few more days."

"I'll get uniforms stationed here outside her room and I want around the clock protection on you. I can get Frankie if that makes you more comfortable."

Maura nodded and said, "Okay."

"Um, can I talk to you in private for a second?" Jane asked.

"Fine," Maura said and they both stepped outside the room.

In a low voice Jane said, "Dean lied to me and the reason he was in Boston was Doyle. He followed Doyle to the warehouse. It wasn't my fault."

"I know. The FBI told me they've had surveillance on him for awhile. They were trying to question me about my meetings with him. But you still shot him, Jane, when there was no reason to."

"He shot an FBI agent. He's a dangerous criminal, Maura," Jane hissed.

"And he's my father," Maura said with the same flash of anger she showed at the warehouse. After a pause she said more softly, "As far as I know he's the only connection I have to my birth mother. If you took that away..." Maura trailed off as the tears started to fall.

"Maura," Jane said as she reached out for Maura's arm.

"No, don't," Maura said, crossing her arms and turning away from Jane.

"I'll send Frankie over right now. Please call me if you need anything or if anything sketchy happens. Okay?"

Maura wouldn't look at Jane but she nodded and Jane left.

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><p>Jane went outside to the cruiser she had haphazardly and illegally parked on the street half a block from the hospital and turned her phone on. She had eleven messages from Lieutenant Cavanaugh and about a million from her mother. First she called Frankie to fill him in and he easily agreed to stay with Maura.<p>

Then Jane drove to the station where she was met by Cavanaugh as soon as she stepped into the bullpen. "Patrick Doyle just died. The gunshot wounds weren't fatal but he sustained massive internal injuries and bleeding from the fall and the doctors were unable to save him."

Jane suddenly felt dizzy and grabbed a chair to sit in. "Fuck," she muttered.

"This is good. You helped bring down a mob boss," Cavanaugh said, confused about Jane's demeanor.

"I wasn't trying to kill him. And Maura is going to be devastated."

"Well, it's better this way. If he went to trial, Maura's connection to him was bound to become public knowledge. This is better for her."

"Don't ever say that to her. It seems that in the past 24 hours she's had a change of heart about dear old dad. But look," Jane continued, snapping back to the immediate issues, "the FBI knows that he's her father and we don't know who else knows, so she's not safe from Doyle's enemies right now. I assigned Frankie to stay at her side at all times. We need to station a uniform outside her mother's room at the hospital until she can go home."

Cavanaugh agreed. "Right, I'll get on that. The FBI has arrested at least ten of Doyle's lieutenants since he was shot."

"Which means all the other crime families are re-positioning themselves and shit is about to get ugly."

Jane started to leave and Cavanaugh said, "Where are you going now? Do you know how many people are looking to talk to you? The FBI, IAD, the Chief of Police's office, the press."

Jane shrugged, "I have some things to take care of."

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><p>Jane left the station and went to Maura's house to find her own mother. As soon as she entered the guest house Angela started in on her. "Jane, why didn't you answer your phone. I saw the news about Patrick Doyle and the shooting. Why are you always involved in these crazy shootings?"<p>

Jane put her hands on Angela's shoulders to make sure she had her full attention. "Ma, I need you to focus for a second. Patrick Doyle's enemies may come after Maura. Frankie is with her, but I don't know if it is safe to be at her house. I want you to pack some stuff and I'm going to take you to my place to stay until things calm down. Do you understand?"

Angela stared at Jane's face. "You're being serious?"

"Yes. Go pack."

While Jane waited for Angela to be ready, her phone rang with a number she didn't recognize. She answered, "Rizzoli."

"Jane, it's Constance. Patrick died."

"I know, I just heard. How's Maura?"

"She's very upset. She's gone to see if she can see him before his body is taken away. Your brother is with her."

"She's never going to forgive me," Jane said, her voice noticeably cracking.

"She will, you just have to give her time. But there is something you need to do for her. You have to find her birth mother. She won't let on how important it is to her and she won't ask for help, but she wants to know who she is."

Jane listened as Constance recounted all of the information she knew about Maura's birth mother. They hung up promising to talk again the next day.

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><p>Frankie took Maura downstairs to Doyle's operating room and watched her browbeat the FBI agents standing guard until they let her in to the room. Patrick Doyle was lying on the operating table with his whole body covered in sheets except for his face. Frankie checked out the room and stepped just outside the door to let Maura have some privacy and gave the FBI agents standing around the corridor his best Rizzoli glare.<p>

Frankie listened to the sound of Maura crying for what seemed like forever but was probably fifteen minutes. After another good five minutes of silence, Maura opened the door behind Frankie. She kept her head held high, despite the obvious puffiness and redness around her eyes, as she strode through the crowd of FBI agents. Frankie glared once more at them and followed her back to her mother's room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 4**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

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><p>Jane tossed and turned on the couch all night as the events of the past day ran through her head. When she arrived at her apartment with her mother the first thing she did was take the sheets off her bed and throw them in the trash while her mother looked on in horror. She re-made the bed, surrendered her bedroom to her mother, and went to try to sleep on the couch. only partially succeeding.<p>

Jane wasn't on call that night so it wasn't until the morning when she turned on the news that she learned about the trail of bloodshed that had swept across the city. Two rival mob crews had battled each other for control over pieces of Doyle's empire, which stretched from the docks to gambling and drugs. Several members on each side had been killed. One of Doyle's men had engaged in a shoot-out with the FBI, leaving himself and an FBI agent dead.

Jane called Korsak to see if they were needed for work, but was told they weren't going to be allowed on these cases because of the previous day's events. Jane then called Frankie to see how Maura was doing and tell them she was taking Ma to visit Constance this morning.

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><p>Frankie hadn't seen Maura yet that morning but when he heard movement upstairs earlier he went up and called through Maura's door to make sure she was alright. When she responded yes, he returned to his spot on the couch and thought about their conversation from the night before.<p>

He brought her home from the hospital, stopping to grab some take-out on the way although Maura refused to eat. She didn't say a word until they were in her house and with a simmering anger he had never seen from Maura, she turned on him and asked why Jane shot Patrick Doyle. Frankie said he didn't know, that she should ask Jane.

He watched Maura close her eyes and clench her jaw until she spoke again, saying, "I know that Patrick Doyle is a criminal, but he probably saved my life today and he...he loved me. I spent so long wondering why my biological parents didn't want me, didn't love me. But he did love me. Just when I was starting to understand... I've lost my chance to get to know him." It seemed to Frankie that Maura was almost talking to herself, but then she turned to Frankie and said, "Why did you agree to stay with me?"

"Because Jane asked me to. I know you're mad at her right now, but Jane loves you. She would never do anything she thought would hurt you."

"And yet somehow the people I love are the ones who keep hurting me the most," Maura responded.

Frankie wasn't sure how to respond to that so he didn't say anything and Maura went upstairs. Frankie had never seen Maura this way, so unbalanced, so out of control emotionally. He was worried for her and for Jane.

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><p>Jane sat in the corner of Constance's hospital room later in the morning. Angela was sitting close to Constance talking but Jane had tuned them out. She was deep in her own thoughts. How many hours had she spent in hospital rooms in the past year? Why did violence keep touching her and the people she cared about?<p>

The violence of the previous night had tapered off but it was unclear if it was over. Neither the FBI nor BPD had been prepared to deal with the chaos created by the vacuum left by Patrick Doyle's death. Jane didn't have enough information to know if Maura could be considered enough of a threat to be in danger. If the FBI had any knowledge, they weren't sharing. She just had to hope that Maura would continue to be safe.

Jane squirmed in her chair. She was restless and desperate to be doing anything but sitting around. She wanted to be out on the streets, cracking heads and taking down mobsters. That would have taken her mind off of Maura and been an adequate release for the built up energy she'd had since the warehouse.

Jane saw Angela get up and indicate she was ready to leave. Jane started to say her goodbyes to Constance, but Constance said, "Jane, can I have a word alone with you?"

Jane nodded and took the seat vacated by her mother next to Constance's bed. After Angela stepped out of the room, Constance continued, "Maura took Patrick's death very hard. She needs you right now."

"I'm not so sure about that. She's still so angry with me."

"Of course she is, but that doesn't mean you can't start making it up to her."

"I've been thinking about what you asked me to do. Do you really think it's the best time to be looking for her birth mother?" Jane asked.

"Better now than when it's too late."

"I feel weird about doing it when Maura hasn't asked me to."

"She doesn't know _how_ to ask. You helped me understand that about Maura," Constance said.

"Why are you asking me to do this anyway? You could hire a private investigator or something."

"Are you being intentionally dense today, Jane? Maura trusts you and she loves you. That's why I'm asking you."

Jane stood up. "You're right. I'll find her birth mother." Jane walked to the door but stopped before leaving and said, "And Constance, I love her too." Jane opened the door and walked straight into Maura. Jane saw Frankie over Maura's shoulder and he gave her a wide-eyed look that Jane interpreted as _watch out_.

Maura stepped back and seemed to be trying to come to a decision. The next thing Jane felt was Maura's hand slapping across her face with a strength Jane was unaware Maura possessed. Frankie started to move between the two women, but Jane raised her hand to stop him and said, "It's okay Frankie, I deserved that."

But Maura didn't stop there. "Are you happy now? You killed him!" Maura yelled. Maura raised her now clenched fists but before she could successfully strike Jane again, Jane grasped both her wrists and pulled Maura's arms down to her side. Maura struggled to get out of Jane's grasp but Jane held her tight. Jane pulled the two of them into the ladies room across the hall where she released Maura before locking the door.

Jane watched Maura pace back and forth across the small bathroom. Once Maura seemed slightly more calm, Jane said, "Maura, we really need to talk about this. I know you hate me right now, and I deserve it, but I'll do whatever I can to fix it. No matter how long it takes I'll make it up to you. You're the most important person in my life. I swear I wasn't trying to kill him. I just wanted to make sure he didn't get away again. I know he's your father but he's also a criminal and it was my job to catch him."

"You've never put your job before me before."

That gave Jane a moment's pause before she responded. "You're right. I fucked up in every possible way. But in my defense, I didn't know that he was suddenly so important to you."

Maura stopped pacing and said, "I've been thinking. I mean, all I've been doing is thinking. I can't stop thinking. But I had a specific thought about you. Sometimes you scare me. You're willingness to put yourself in danger but also to do whatever it takes in pursuit of what you see as just. Do you know how similar you are to Patrick Doyle?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jane sneered.

"No, I'm quite serious. You're both murderers."

"I am not a murderer!" Jane yelled.

Maura continued unfazed, "Would you prefer killer? How many people have you killed now? It's too bad you and Patrick never got a chance to compare numbers?"

"This is ridiculous. I've only killed people in the line of duty, when it was called for," Jane responded angrily.

"Isn't that essentially the same thing Patrick said? You both believe you live by a certain code. Killing only when it is justified."

"How am I supposed to answer that? I was just trying to do my job. All I'm ever trying to do is my job. Sometimes that requires the use of force and things happen."

"Right now it's hard to see any difference other than your badge allows you to claim the moral high ground. The other difference is that I wanted to hate him, but I think I loved him. I want to love you but right now I hate you." Maura left the restroom, leaving a stunned and even more confused Jane behind.

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><p><strong><em>AN: I'm getting a lot of hits on this story but not too many reviews. Let me know what you think, good or bad._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 5**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

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><p>The restroom door swung closed, leaving Jane alone. She sunk to the floor, knees against her chest, forehead resting on her knees. She clenched and unclenched her hands, resisting the urge to punch the floor, or the wall, or anything else within reach. She tried to tell herself that Maura was hurting and she was lashing out at whoever was available. If Maura needed to hurt Jane in order to heal she would let her.<p>

After awhile, Jane slowly rose to her feet, using the wall for leverage. She didn't realize she was crying until she looked in the mirror. The left side of her face was still bright red where Maura slapped her and both sides of her face were streaked with tears. Jane ran the water in the sink as hot as she could and washed her face. Once she had composed herself as best as she could, Jane went in search of her mother and brought them both to police headquarters.

Angela went to the cafe to work and Jane went upstairs where she collapsed in her chair with a loud sigh. She was barely holding herself together emotionally. Doyle, Dean, Constance, Maura, everything had happened so fast. It had only been a little more than twenty four hours since they were at the warehouse. Thirty hours since Jane woke up with Dean in her bed and an immediate sense of regret. She tried to make the best of it, told herself she should want this, want him. She tried to make a connection with Dean, but it just turned into a disaster like always.

"That bad, huh?" Frost said.

"Fuck, Frost. Just fuck everything. What's the latest around here?"

"Things have quieted down since early this morning. It's hard to know what tonight will look like. There's not much we can do to stop these idiots from shooting each other, and we're probably better off letting them all kill each other. All of Doyle's remaining men are probably busy picking sides now. I doubt anyone will come after Maura at this point. She's clearly not involved in the business and she can't be used to get to Doyle now."

Jane thought about it and nodded, "You're probably right, but I wanna keep protection on her for now."

"Shit will blow over just like everything else always does," Frost responded.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jane asked.

Before Frost could answer, Lieutenant Cavanaugh stepped out of his office and called across the bullpen, "Rizzoli, Frost, my office now."

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Frost said as they entered the office.

"I've just had a call from the Chief's office. They wanna give you two some sort of commendation for capturing Paddy Doyle. They're gonna schedule a ceremony in the next couple of days. It'll be during the day with press invited. And Jane, the Boston Globe wants to do a profile on you. You know, female cop, your experiences with Hoyt and taking down Doyle."

"No."

Both Frost and Cavanaugh looked in Jane in surprise. "This isn't a choice," Cavanaugh said. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, Detective, that this is what is happening."

"I'm not doing either of those things. I'm not going to stand out there and accept an award for killing Maura's father. And I'm not going to tell the fucking press my feelings about it. Frost, you, the FBI, I don't care who, can take credit for taking down Doyle. I don't want it." Jane walked out of the Lieutenant's office.

"Rizzoli! Get back in here," Cavanaugh called after her.

"Jane's right. We were just doing our jobs. We weren't after Doyle. He was just there. I'm out too," Frost said and followed Jane out.

Cavanaugh stepped out into the bullpen and yelled, "If you two don't show up where I tell you to, when I tell you to, you will both be suspended."

Jane looked at Frost who simply nodded at her. She shrugged and Cavanaugh huffed back inside his office.

"Thanks, man," Jane said.

"You got it, partner."

"Listen, Frost, I have something I need to work on. It's really for Maura."

"Go. I'll cover for you and let you know if anything comes up."

"Thanks. You're a really good partner," Jane said and left before her emotions could get the better of her.

* * *

><p>Maura sat in her mother's hospital room in a daze, trying to hold herself together. She meant everything she said to Jane, but the strength of her emotions shocked her. Maura realized she had been letting her emotions rule her since Patrick was shot. Under different circumstances she may have been happy that she was responding to a situation in an emotional way, rather than her usual rational, logical self. But she needed to find a balance between the two before she did or said something irreversible.<p>

There was a knock on the door and the uniformed police officer still stationed outside the hospital room stuck his head in and said, "Dr. Isles, there is an FBI agent here who wants to talk to you."

Maura gathered herself and stepped outside the room where she was surprised to find Agent Dean standing there supporting himself on two crutches. "What can I do for you Agent Dean?" Maura asked curtly.

"I, uh, thought I owed it to you to apologize for the way things happened and to give you an update on our case against Doyle's organization."

Maura was having trouble understanding why Dean was telling her all of this right now. "Did Jane ask you to talk to me?"

"No, no, I'm here on my own. Whatever Jane thinks, I do really like her. But she made it quite clear she is not interested in seeing me anymore. I'm here out of professional courtesy and also because I think Jane would want me to give you this information." Dean handed Maura the thick folder he was holding. "This is the summary of the case we built against Patrick Doyle. The case is still going forward against his organization. Look, I don't know what the extent of your relationship with Doyle was but the FBI still considers you a potential witness or suspect in this case. If there is any information you are withholding about anything in that folder, it would be better for you to come forward now rather than have us discover it later."

"Are you trying to threaten me, Agent Dean?"

"I'm trying to help you Dr. Isles by simply informing you of what is going on."

"Is there anything else?"

"Uh, no."

Maura turned on her heel without another word and went back into her mother's room clutching the folder.

* * *

><p>Jane left the station with a plan for finding Maura's birth mother. She didn't have a lot to go on. Her first name was Hope and she was from South Boston. Constance didn't know her real last name. She used Doyle during the adoption negotiations. After the adoption, Maura's original birth certificate was sealed, even possibly destroyed. Jane wasn't sure how that worked in a private adoption. But either way, Jane had no way of getting that so she had to figure out another way of finding a last name.<p>

She knew Maura was born in 1973 and that Hope was around 18 when Maura was born. Jane decided the first place to start would be South Boston High School. Although if Hope was as smart as Patrick said she was, she may have gone to a private school or one of the public exam schools. Fortunately she should have graduated before the school busing plan was instituted, so that kept the public high school possibilities to a minimum.

Jane parked her car on G St in South Boston. The South Boston High School had gone through many different variations since the early 1970s, but it's location hadn't changed. Jane showed her badge to the guard at the front door and followed his directions to the administrative office. It was after school hours but many staff and students were still in the building. Jane was admitted to the principal's office where she explained she looking for a student named Hope who had probably attended the school in the early 1970s, and she implied that it was related to an old unsolved case.

The principal, who Jane thought seemed awfully young to already be a high school principal, said records that old hadn't been digitized and were housed in the Boston Public School administrative building anyway. He suggested that she could look through some old yearbooks though if that might help. Jane said it would and she was escorted to a musty storage room by a slow-moving, white-haired woman named Agnes who kept calling Jane dear.

Once Agnes found the location of the boxes of old yearbooks and shuffled off, Jane picked up the one from the 1972-1973 school year and looked through all of the names and pictures. There was no one named Hope. Jane moved on to the 1971-1972 yearbook. Halfway through the senior class Jane gasped when she saw what looked like a picture of a young Maura with the name Hope Fitzpatrick below it. It almost seemed too easy to have found her so quickly.

Jane walked back down to the office in search of Agnes. "Um, Agnes, what year did you start working here?" Jane asked.

"1963, dear."

Jane showed her the picture of Hope Fitzpatrick. "Do you remember her?"

Agne's eyes lit up. "Oh, of course. She was one of the brightest students we ever had here and so beautiful too. I think she had a full scholarship to college."

"I'm just curious, if she was as smart as everyone said she was, why didn't she go to Boston Latin or one of the other prep schools?" Jane asked.

Agnes sighed. "Her parents were the kind that thought South Boston was the best place on earth and there was no reason to ever leave. They didn't support her aspirations to go to college. I bet once Hope left Southie she never looked back."

"Do you remember where she went to college?"

"I know she took a year off after she graduated from here. I think there were some family issues or something. She worked over at the public library for awhile and then she left and no one ever saw her around again. I think she went down to New York City, maybe to Columbia, but my memory isn't as good about these things anymore."

Jane resisted the urge to hug her. "Don't worry about it, Agnes. You've been a huge help. Do you think you could photocopy this picture for me?"

"Just take the whole book, dear. We've got extras and you're the first person to ever ask to look at them."

Jane took the yearbook and left to contemplate her next move.


	6. Chapter 6

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 6**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

_**A/N: Many thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. **  
><em>

* * *

><p>After her trip to the high school Jane went to her apartment and mulled over her next steps. Going forward, a lot would depend on whether Hope had kept her name or not. If she was still Hope Fitzpatrick, it might be a matter of minutes on a computer to find her. If not, it could be days, weeks, or never.<p>

Jane couldn't wait for never to get things back to normal with Maura. In her mind there was no question that she had acted appropriately at the warehouse. Doyle was a wanted criminal. He had just shot and killed a man in front of them and shot an FBI agent. There was no way Jane could professionally or morally let him go. She wasn't trying to kill him though. It was a clusterfuck of circumstances that caused him to fall and die. Jane had never tried to kill anyone unless they were actually trying to kill her. She would kill Hoyt and any of his apprentices a thousand times over if she had the chance.

Despite knowing this about herself she couldn't help but dwell on what Maura had said about her being like Doyle That she was just rationalizing things she had done on the job the same way he did. It was devastating to think that Maura could possibly believe that. She knew Maura had been speaking in anger, but what if deep down Maura really looked at her that way?

Jane was torn between whether she should let Maura know what she had found so far, even though Maura was still so pissed at her and might get more pissed about Jane doing this behind her back. Or to keep digging and hopefully have more information to present. Jane decided to sleep on it and not do anything else for the rest of the night and make a plan in the morning.

Instead she tucked the yearbook on a shelf in the living room and made dinner for her mother, who was still staying at her apartment. Angela was pleasantly surprised by Jane cooking for her but then while they were eating she kept going on and on about how she didn't understand why Jane didn't have a husband, until Jane finally got fed up and stopped her by saying, "Ma, I don't want a husband."

Angela put down her fork and said, "What do you mean you don't want a husband?"

Jane knew she was in a more fragile emotional state than normal and that her mother had pushed her over an edge. Still, she might as well get it out now since she had started. "I don't want the life you think I should want and continually nagging me about it isn't going to change that."

"Jane, I just want to know that you have someone who will take care of you and you can grow old with," Angela said.

"Take care of me how, Ma? I take care of myself. It's when I try to rely on other people that I am most miserable."

"I'm sorry for wanting you to be happy," Angela said in the tone that always made Jane's boil.

Jane sighed. "No, Ma, it's okay. It's just that what worked for you, isn't going to work for me in my life."

"I don't want you be lonely."

"I'm not...I mean..." Jane trailed off as she considered what she had been about to say.

After a moment of silence Angela said, "Earth to Jane. You still here?"

"Uh, I was just thinking that I haven't been lonely in a long time."

"Maura," was all Angela said.

"Well, yeah, obviously Maura. Don't you think the past few months, even with Pop gone wherever he went and Tommy home, we've still been a real family? That's all because of Maura. Our family life revolves around her."

"Do you have romantic feelings for Maura?" Angela said as nonchalantly as she could pretend to be.

Jane eyed her mother. Angela was a lot more perceptive than she ever let on. She'd also been pressing the dating and husband thing a lot less frequently recently. "Would you believe me if I said I don't know? I'm happy when I'm with her. I don't know what that means exactly. Would it be okay with you if I did have romantic feelings for Maura?"

"I'm okay with Maura. Just don't start bringing home other random women, okay?"

Jane couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously?"

"I'm just saying that I hope that if you were a lesbian you would have told me already. But if you're just gay for Maura I'm fine with that."

"Really, Ma? Gay for Maura?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Jane's smile faded. "Right now I just need Maura to be my friend again."

"Do you think she's still in any danger?

"Now that Doyle is dead there's really no reason for anyone to go after her. But you never know. The warehouse fire and the Doyle case have drawn public attention to her. I'd like Frankie to stay with her a few more days. Frankie told me this morning that Maura put in for an indefinite leave of absence, which is probably safer if anyone does decide to target her."

"Things will get back to normal sometime."

"I sure hope so."

* * *

><p>Constance was discharged from the hospital the following morning. Frankie escorted both her and Maura to Maura's house. Maura told Frankie that since they were all going to be staying there now, there was no reason Angela shouldn't move back into the guest house, especially if he was still going to be guarding them. Frankie said he'd let Angela know.<p>

Once her mother was settled in the downstairs guest room, Maura went upstairs to her room, saying she needed some time to rest. The folder Agent Dean gave her sat unopened on her bedside table. She couldn't bring herself to open it last night and wasn't sure if she was going to be able to today or ever. Maura had been able to reassert some control over her emotions. She woke up that morning feeling more clear headed than she had felt in two days and didn't want reopen the floodgates yet.

Maura also still couldn't figure out why Dean gave her the folder in the first place. His assertion that he was trying to help her didn't seem believable. Doyle was dead so he wouldn't be prosecuted but the evidence against him would be used for his associates that were arrested. If Dean thought she had any connection to Doyle's operations, perhaps he thought she'd try to use whatever was in the folder to help them. It was believed that Doyle had connections within BPD. Maybe Dean thought it was her and was trying to flush her out.

Maura lay down on her bed on her side, still eyeing the folder. She knew, objectively, that Patrick Doyle was a bad guy. If she had no connection with him, she would simply think of him as a monster. But he was responsible for 50% of her genetic material. The desire to know more about him and to be able to think well of him was understandable. He loved her and at the moment that was all Maura needed to know.

* * *

><p>Jane woke up the next morning still undecided about what to do next about Hope. She decided to go for a run and see if that helped. After throwing on a pair of sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt Jane ran north through the Back Bay to the Charles River. She ran east along the Esplanade paths past the Hatch Shell and around the Teddy Ebersol fields. From there she cut across to Cambridge Street and then went uphill to the State House. She ran through the Common and Public Garden to the Commonwealth Avenue mall, running west until she turned south to return home.<p>

She ran for over an hour thinking the whole time about Maura without figuring out what to do. When Jane entered her apartment Angela told her Frankie just called to say that Constance had relocated to Maura's house and Maura said Angela should return to the guest house.

Taking this as a sign, Jane said, "Great. Let me shower, and I'll bring you over there." Forty-five minutes later Jane was knocking on Maura's front door, the yearbook tucked under arm.

Maura came downstairs when she heard knocking and the sound of people talking. She found Jane, Angela, and Frankie talking in the kitchen. Angela immediately came over to her and enveloped her in a hug that Maura gratefully accepted and returned.

When Angela pulled back she said, "Well, I should go check on things in the guest house. Frankie will you come make sure it all looks safe over there?"

Once they were gone Jane and Maura eyed each other nervously for a moment before Jane said, "So, uh, there's something I need to talk to you about, but your mother should be part of the conversation too, so if she's not-"

"Good morning, Jane," Constance said as she wheeled into the kitchen in her wheelchair.

"Good morning, Constance. How are you feeling?" Jane asked, grateful for Constance's appearance.

"Much better now that I am out of the hospital. Although I'll be off my feet for awhile yet. You have something you want to talk to us about?"

Maura looked back and forth between her mother and Jane with a baffled expression as Jane smiled appreciatively at Constance and they moved to the living room area so Jane and Maura could sit down.

Once Maura was settled on the couch Jane began, "Maura, your mother asked me to do something for you."

"Darling, I asked Jane to try to find your birth mother," Constance interjected.

"What?" Maura nearly yelled.

"Before you decide whether you're upset with me, why don't we hear what Jane has to say."

Jane started by explaining the information Constance had given her and that she'd gone to South Boston High School to try to find a last name. Jane then opened the yearbook to the right page and handed it to Maura.

Maura gasped slightly upon seeing the picture of Hope Fitzgerald. She rubbed her fingertips lightly over the picture. "I look just like her." After another moment she looked at Jane and said, "What else did you find?"

Jane recounted what Agnes had told her about Hope's parents and leaving for college and then said, "I can take you to talk to her if you want, but she's like a hundred years old and I'm not sure how great her memory actually is. I haven't done anything else. I wanted to make sure you wanted me to continue."

Maura looked at the picture for another few moments before looking back at Jane with tear filled eyes. "Of course I want you to continue. What do we do next?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 7**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

_**A/N: I could have Jane and Maura spend chapters and chapters searching for her mother. I suppose that's one way that they could reconnect. But I have other plans for them, so please forgive me if parts of this and previous chapters seem unrealistically fast.**  
><em>

* * *

><p>Constance left the two women alone, saying that she was tired and was going to take a nap. After Constance left the room, Jane looked at Maura warily.<p>

"I'm much calmer than when you saw me yesterday," Maura said.

Jane couldn't help but laugh softly at that. "That's a relief."

"I'm sorry I slapped you."

Jane unconsciously touched her face. "Don't worry about it. I've been on the receiving end of worse."

"Really?" Maura asked.

"No, not really, actually. I don't think anyone has ever hit me that hard before."

"Oh."

"Look, Maura. I meant what I said yesterday. I really screwed up and I understand why you're mad at me. I don't expect you to be able to forgive me right away. But I can't bear the thought that we won't be able to get back to being us."

"It's not that I don't want that too. Throughout my life I became accustomed to people I care about disappointing me or hurting me. I thought you would be the person who would never hurt me."

"I thought that too."

A heavy silence settled over both women until Maura picked up the yearbook again and said, "Thank you for this."

"Of course. If you want to find your mother, I'm going to find her for you."

"I want to help. What do we do next?" Maura asked.

"Well, I guess you should get on your computer and search for Hope Fitzgerald. Just print out everything you find that could be relevant, but don't get too excited about anything until we are able to confirm it. I don't want you to get your hopes up too much too soon. I need to go in to the office for a little while. I'll get Frost to run every database available and see what else I can think of. And then I'll come back here okay?"

Maura nodded. Jane went to leave but before she stepped outside Maura said, "Jane? Thank you, really."

* * *

><p>Jane found Frost in the tech room next to the bullpen. "What are you doing in here?" Jane asked<p>

"Trying to stay out of Cavanaugh's line of vision," Frost replied.

"Anything happening?"

"Things are pretty quiet on the Doyle front. A call came in with a possible homicide but Cavanaugh gave it to Crowe. I don't think we'll get any cases today. Cavanaugh is probably getting prepared to suspend us."

"You don't have to do that for me, you know."

"I want to. I agree with you. The whole situation was fucked. They just want to use us to deflect focus from the firefighter who was setting fires all over the city and I don't want to be used like that. Korsak is trying to stay out of it."

"That's good, he doesn't need to be involved." Jane noticed Cavanaugh's office door open and Agent Dean come hobbling out. "Oh, fuck me. Why didn't you tell me Dean was here?"

"Sorry, I didn't know that was a problem," Frost mumbled.

Dean spotted Jane and came over to her and Frost. "Where have you been Jane? I thought we were engaged? I thought I was having memory problems when one of the nurses asked me where my fiance went."

"What do you want?" Jane asked.

"I was just discussing tomorrow's press conference with Lieutenant Cavanaugh. I assume you'll be there."

Jane just crossed her arms and stared at him.

Dean cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, you might be interested in a folder I gave Maura to look at if she hasn't shown it to you yet."

Dean started to walk away when Jane said, "Hey Gabriel." He turned around and Jane said, "Go fuck yourself."

"What was that about?" Frost asked when Dean was gone.

"Don't worry about it. Can you help with me something and keep it quiet?" Jane filled in Frost on the search for Maura's mother and they spent an hour searching for Hope Fitzpatrick in every database Frost could think of. They found women with that name but none that could be Maura's mother.

"We're out of databases to search, Jane."

Jane slouched in her chair and ran her hands through her hair. "So back to the beginning. We need to figure out where she went to college and start there."

"You know, a lot of high schools keep track of where graduating seniors go to college."

"The principal at South Boston high said all the records from that long ago are at the administrative building. Wanna go for a ride?"

Jane and Frost went to the Boston Public Schools administrative building on Court Street. Jane flashed her badge and once more explained that she was trying to track down a student from 70s and wanted to see if there was any record of where she went to college.

A harried administrative assistant took Jane and Frost to the basement which housed stacks filled with file boxes resembling their own case filing system at police headquarters. The woman led them to one row and said, "These are all the records we have from that time period. We just house whatever records the individual schools send us, usually without even looking at them. I can't guarantee we have what you are looking for, but if we do it'll be in this row."

The boxes were haphazardly labelled. Jane found the section for the 1971-72 school year. They each grabbed a box and started looking. Twenty minutes later Frost said, "Jane, I found Hope's folder."

Jane looked over Frost's shoulder as he flipped through the pages of Hope's school record. "Look at those grades. Straight A's every quarter. I guess genius is inherited."

"There's nothing here about college though."

They continued the search through all of the boxes from that school year and the next one as well because Hope supposedly took a year off. There was no information in any of them about where Hope went to college.

"It was too much to hope I guess," Frost said.

"Yeah. I'm gonna go see if Maura found anything. I uh, I guess I won't see you tomorrow."

"That's right partner. I'm looking forward to a little mandated vacation, how about you?"

Jane laughed. "Just promise to make the most of it, okay?"

* * *

><p>At Maura's house, Jane found Frankie and Constance watching television. "Hey, you two."<p>

"Jane, you didn't tell me you had such a wonderful brother," Constance said.

"Well, my other brother is a dipshit, so don't get too excited. Frankie, where's Ma?"

"She went to get groceries," Frankie answered.

"Is Maura here?"

"She went up to her bedroom a little while ago," Constance said.

Jane went upstairs. Maura's bedroom door was open and Jane looked inside and saw Maura lying on her side on her bed. "Hey, Maur, can I come in?" Jane asked from just inside the doorway.

Maura rolled over and Jane could see that she had been crying. Jane immediately went to sit on the corner of the bed and said, "Hey, what's going on? What happened?"

Maura sat up and wiped her eyes. "I didn't listen to you. You told me to keep my expectations low and I didn't and then I started feeling frustrated and sad and sorry for myself, so I came up here and cried for a little while. I didn't find anything. There wasn't a single piece of evidence that my birth mother exists."

Jane tried not to smile as she said, "Sweetie, that is exactly why I told you not to get your hopes up. Hope Fitzpatrick is not in any of the official databases Frost and I searched either. My best guess is that at some point she changed her name which makes it a lot harder to find her now. We have to go back to when she left South Boston and follow her tracks. Frost and I went to look at the old school records to see if we could find out where she went to college, but there was nothing there. So now we keep looking even if we have to call every college in the country until we find where she went. Agnes said she thought Hope went to New York City so we can start there."

"You're going to find her?" Maura asked.

"Yes, I am. I promise." Jane took hold of one of Maura's hands. "Listen, I ran into Dean at headquarters today. He told me you he gave you a folder. What's that about?"

"It has something to do with Patrick Doyle. He said he was trying to help me but I don't know what that means. I feel like he was trying to trick me or something. I haven't been able to bring myself to look at it."

"Would it be okay with you if I looked at it?" Jane asked tentatively.

"I suppose it can't hurt anything. It's on the table over there. Just go someplace else with it. I'm not ready for whatever is in it."

Jane released Maura's hand, stood up and retrieved the folder. "I'm gonna take it downstairs."

Jane took a seat at Maura's desk downstairs and opened the folder. It appeared to be the bare bones of the FBI's case against Doyle. Jane couldn't figure out why Dean would give it to Maura. He was either being a colossal ass or there was something in here he wanted Maura to see.

The first few pages covered Doyle's arrest record. Several arrests for assault and a breaking and entering in the early 1970s. He was never charged though as no one was willing to press charges or come forward as a witness. By 1973 the FBI believed Doyle had become part of Whitey Bulger's top crew of enforcers. Doyle was responsible for collecting debts and taking care of people who didn't pay up. Eventually his responsibilities grew to overseeing the whole gambling operation and sometimes coordinating drugs and arms deals. For some reason when the Department of Justice moved on Bulger in the early 1990s, Doyle wasn't targeted and then he took control over Bulger's operations.

The folder contained details of suspected murders and other illegal activities but also printouts of Doyle's financial assets. Jane looked through pages documenting bank accounts scattered across different banks and different states. Doyle had a portfolio of investments to rival the smartest investors in the country. He also had significant real estate holdings, almost all commercial properties, that he bought and sold through a shell company.

One transaction stood out to Jane. A few years ago Doyle sold a house in New Haven, CT. The property record included in the folder showed that he purchased the house in 1973. Jane nearly ran up the stairs to Maura's bedroom and said, "You ready to go on a road trip?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 8**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>The next morning Jane and Maura were on the road heading towards New Haven. Maura had picked up Jane at her apartment at 9am, complete with a cooler packed with lunch by Angela, and gave Jane the keys to the Prius, saying she was too nervous to drive.<p>

Both women were quiet as they drove out of the city. About an hour into the ride, as they crossed into Connecticut, Jane's cell phone starting ringing. Each time it rang she looked at the caller ID and silenced the phone. After about ten calls in a row that Jane ignored, Maura finally said, "Are you going to tell me who keeps trying to call you?"

"It's not important," Jane said.

"Someone thinks it's important. Jane, just tell me."

Jane cleared her throat. "There's a press conference happening at headquarters right now, celebrating the capture of Patrick Doyle. I'm supposed to be there. Cavanaugh keeps calling, probably to tell me all the things he's going to do to me for not being there."

"Why aren't you there?" Maura asked.

"Seriously? You think that's something I want to celebrate or be a part of?"

Maura opened her mouth to respond but changed her mind. After a minute she said, "Are you going to be in trouble?"

"Probably a suspension. But I don't care about that. And for the record Frost isn't going either We both agreed that it was bullshit."

Silence settled over them again. Maura had two questions she was longing to ask Jane but didn't actually want to hear the answers to. One was about the folder Dean gave her and the other question was about Dean. She finally gave up and asked one of them. "What's happening with you and Gabriel?"

Maura saw Jane visibly tighten her grip on the steering wheel. "There is nothing going on with me and Dean and everything that went on with us before was a giant mistake."

Maura couldn't help herself. "I thought you liked him."

"I tried to like him because I thought I was supposed to like him. Everyone, including you, wanted me got out with him. I should have just paid attention to my gut about him instead of what everyone else was telling me to do."

"That's not like you, to ignore your gut, as you insist on calling it."

"It's not like me at work, but in every other part of my life I've always done everything other people wanted me to or told me to do. Or at least I try. I spent a lot of time trying to be the good Italian daughter, like all the other girls in my neighborhood growing up. Do you know how many dates I went on with guys from the old neighborhood who think a woman's only role is to be at home having babies and cooking all day long? The only thing I've ever done because I wanted to was become a cop. I put everything I could into becoming a cop and then a detective. But, I don't know, maybe that was the wrong thing to do."

"You're a great detective, Jane."

Jane raised a scarred palm towards Maura. "I know I'm a good detective, but I'm not sure that I'm a good cop."

"What do you mean?"

"I was doing what I was supposed to be doing as a cop when I shot Doyle. But I'm not sure I did the right thing. Actually I'm pretty sure I didn't do the right thing. But shooting him or not shooting him I would have disappointed someone. I don't know how to live like that, wondering all the time if I'm doing the right thing."

Maura had no answer for that so they rode in silence the rest of the way to New Haven.

* * *

><p>When they arrived their first stop was the Yale alumni office. Jane was working on the hypothesis that Patrick Doyle purchased a house in 1973 in New Haven, CT because Hope moved there for school. She didn't know if Hope actually lived in the house or if Doyle used it for something else, but that was the only explanation Jane could think of for Doyle purchasing a house in that location in the same year Hope moved away and presumably entered college.<p>

Inside the Alumni office, Jane showed her badge and asked to talk to someone in charge. They were directed to the Deputy Director's office where Jane explained that she was with the Boston Police Department and was investigating an old missing persons case for which they'd received a new piece of information that reopened the case. The Deputy Director searched the alumni database for Hope Fitzpatrick and came up with nothing. She explained that that meant that no one by that name graduated from Yale. Jane asked about name changes. The Deputy Director said that if Hope changed her name while she was in school the name she graduated under and any subsequent name changes would appear in the database. She then directed Jane to the Dean's office.

Jane and Maura then found themselves sitting on two wooden chairs outside the office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education as they waited for him to be able to see them. "I feel like we're about to be called into the principal's office," Jane said, glancing at Maura with a grin.

Maura managed a halfhearted smile.

"Sorry, that wasn't really funny. And you probably never got called to the principal's office."

"I'm just preoccupied. I was thinking about what you were saying earlier about being a cop. I'm sorry that I said you were just like Patrick Doyle. It was completely out of line. You are one of the most principled people I know. You hurt me and I wanted to hurt you back. That's why I said it."

Jane was silent.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Maura asked.

"I told myself that you said it out of anger and I shouldn't dwell on it, but that doesn't mean you don't believe that there's some truth to what you said. Neither of us can take back what we did or said. I think we just have to forgive each other and move on."

The door to the Dean's office opened and the two women were ushered inside to meet Dean Johnson. Jane once again told the story of looking for Hope Fitzpatrick and told him they were sent to him by the alumni office.

Dean Johnson listened to Jane's request and then said in a tone that sounded so much like a college lecture Jane had to resist rolling her eyes, "Well, ladies, that's not really under my jurisdiction but I can check it out for you. We always want to be helpful to the police." He turned to his computer and started clicking and typing. "About five years we started putting all old records onto the computer system. We have a lot of alumni these days making mid-life career changes and having all the older records just on paper was becoming difficult to manage. Okay, here we go. Hope Fitzpatrick matriculated at the undergraduate college in 1973. Ah, here's the reason for your problem. She changed her last name during her freshman year to Baldwin. She graduated in 1977, summa cum laude. She was a dual major in Physics and English Literature. You can go back to the Alumni office with that name and see what they can tell you."

Jane could sense that Maura was getting ready to bolt in order to process this information in peace. To the dean she said, "That's really helpful. Thank you. Can you print that info for me?"

They waited the thirty seconds for the page to print. Jane took it, thanking him for all of his help, and took Maura by the arm to usher her out of the building as quickly as possible.

Maura could feel her heart pounding and was only vaguely aware of her surroundings, other than the reassuring presence of Jane close to her. They took a seat on a bench along one the paths that crisscrossed the campus. It felt like too much too soon. Three days ago, she lost her biological father and her biological mother was just an abstract idea. All of the sudden she was a real person.

Somehow, as usual, Jane knew how she was feeling. "We don't have to do anything else today. We can go home. We can stay the night at a hotel and come back tomorrow."

"No, we're here and we have just one more step to go. You should go back to the alumni office. I think I'll take a walk around the campus. I need some fresh air and some time to calm myself down. I'll meet you back here in a little while, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. Go ahead."

Back in the Alumni Deputy Director's office Jane gave the name Hope Baldwin, class of 1977. "Ah yes, here she is," the Deputy Director said. "Most recent address is Williamstown, MA. Professor of English at Williams College. Oh, no. I'm sorry."

"What is it?" Jane asked.

"I just noticed there is a note attached to her record. I'm sorry to tell you that Hope Baldwin passed away about nine months ago. It says here she died after a short battle with pancreatic cancer."

* * *

><p>Maura turned the corner around the old brick building they had been in earlier in the day and saw Jane sitting hunched over on the bench with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Jane looked defeated and Maura knew immediately that she was never going to meet her birth mother. Part of Maura was devastated and part of her was oddly calm as realized that at least all of the wondering was over.<p>

Jane looked up as Maura approached and her eyes were filled with tears. Maura sat down next to Jane and said, "Jane, you didn't fail me."

"Yes I did. I should have known before. I shouldn't have had to be told to help you find your birth mother. I should have known and I should have searched for her before. I'm so sorry Maura." Jane gave Maura the printouts of information from the alumni office, including an obituary.

Maura read them silently and then closed her eyes and sat silently on the bench.

"Maura, please say something. You're freaking me out a little."

"How am I supposed to feel about losing someone I never knew? I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm also a little relieved just to have an answer, any answer. I think I'm just kind of in shock right now. I need time." After another minute of silence Maura said, "Let's go home, Jane."

"Actually I was thinking we should go to Williamstown. The obit doesn't say anything about any family, but I'm sure we could find people at the college who you could talk to and find out what she was like."

"I don't know. My mother just got of out of the hospital. Maybe we should go back to Boston."

"Maura, she's with my mother. Constance probably already gained five pounds today. But it's your call."

"I'm tired. What if we go to a hotel here tonight and decide in the morning?"

* * *

><p>They found a hotel a few blocks from the university and after a subdued and mostly silent early dinner both women retired to their respective rooms. Jane listened to a message from Cavanaugh saying she had been suspended for two weeks and was subject to possible further disciplinary action. She took a shower and then collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling for awhile. At some point she drifted off to sleep and didn't know how long she had been asleep when she heard knocking on her door.<p>

When she opened the door Maura said, "Oh, I woke you up didn't I? I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it. Come on in," Jane said. She sat down on the bed and patted the space next to her for Maura to come sit.

Maura sat down next to Jane. "I don't really feel like being alone right now. I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened in the last week." Jane shifted down on the bed and turned on her side towards Maura. "I talked to my mother. She's fine, of course. She said Angela is pampering her."

Jane raised her eyebrows as if to say _I told you so._

Maura moved to mirror Jane's position, so they were facing each other. "I keep thinking about how from the time I was a little girl I wanted a mom. I wanted a mother who was demonstrative about her love for me and physically affectionate. I didn't think about that with my father, but I really wanted the stereotype of what a mom was supposed to be. When as a child I found out I was adopted, of course in my imagination my biological mother was all of the things I wanted. And while as an adult my expectations about what meeting my biological mother would be like became more realistic, part of me held on to that childish desire."

Jane shifted closer to Maura and took hold of one of her hands. "That's understandable."

"Knowing now that I'll never be able to really get to know my birth mother is really painful. I think I'm going to be dealing with that for a long time. But I have so much more in my life now than when I was that little girl longing for my mom. I have a new wonderful, growing relationship with my mother, which I know I have you to thank for. Your mother treats me like a daughter and has made me a part of your family. And I have you."

"Maura, I...I" Jane stopped talking because she had no way to express what she wanted to in words. Instead she leaned forward, closing the small remaining distance left between them and pressed her lips against Maura's.

Jane kissed Maura like it was the most natural thing in the world. And Maura kissed her back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 9**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>Although Jane initiated the kiss, Maura was quickly directing it. She put a hand on Jane's waist and pulled their bodies closer together. When Jane moaned softly through parted lips at their bodies making contact, Maura slipped her tongue into Jane's mouth. Without breaking contact, Maura pushed Jane from her side onto her back and moved to straddle Jane's hips.<p>

When Maura straightened up and grabbed the hem of her own shirt to take it off, Jane grabbed Maura's wrists to stop her and said, "Maura, is this...is this okay? Is it too fast?"

"I have wanted you for a while, Jane. I've...imagined us... being intimate many times. It's not too fast for me. Your body language suggests you want me too, but if you need more time that's okay."

Jane released Maura's wrists and moved her hands to Maura's jean clad thighs. "It's just that after everything we've been through this week..." Jane trailed off, not sure how to finish her thought without breaking the mood.

"I understand. You're afraid because of the emotional shocks I've had this week I'm not making rational decisions right now. I want this Jane. I've wanted it for a long time."

Jane took hold of the hem of Maura's shirt and said, "Let me."

Maura shifted back so she was sitting between Jane's legs and Jane sat up and lifted Maura's shirt over her head. Maura mirrored Jane's actions and then they continued taking turns removing each other's clothing. Once they were both naked, Maura pushed Jane onto her back again and climbed on top of her.

It was slow and methodical as they explored each other's bodies for the first time. Each woman was deeply aware of how much this meant to them and what it took to get them to this place. When Maura came, with Jane's fingers deep inside of her, it took all of her willpower to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

* * *

><p>The next morning Jane woke up curled against the back of Maura's still naked body. She raised her head to try to see if Maura was awake. Seeing Maura's eyes open, Jane said softly, "Hey."<p>

"Hi."

Jane settled back down behind Maura and said, "You're still here."

"Did you expect me to leave?" Maura asked.

"No, but I was afraid you would leave and then tell me it was a mistake."

Maura turned over toward Jane. "I don't think it was a mistake."

"Good." Jane's fingers drifted over the pale skin of Maura's chest. "You are so beautiful."

"Jane?"

"Yeah?" Jane answered, although she was still paying more attention to Maura's body.

"Are we going to be okay?" Maura asked.

Jane looked up into Maura's eyes. "I want to say yes, but I don't know. I'm not sure what shit is going to be waiting for us when we get back to Boston. We're gonna have to take it day by day, hour by hour if we have to."

"Thank you," Maura replied.

"For what?"

"Being honest."

Jane kissed Maura, and it was her turn to roll Maura onto her back. Jane bent her head took each of Maura's nipples in her mouth in turn. She kissed down Maura's abdomen and dipped her tongue into Maura's belly button. Her hand tickled the inside of Maura's thighs until Maura was squirming. Jane moved her mouth to Maura's neck and her hand up to circle Maura's clit.

"Jane?" Maura breathed as she arched into Jane's touch.

"Hmm?" Jane answered against Maura's neck.

"Last night, before you kissed me, what were you going to say?"

Jane moved so she was looking down at Maura. Her hair was splayed out around her head on the pillow. Her face was slightly flushed and she was looking at Jane expectantly. Even if Jane wanted to lie to her she wouldn't have been able to. As Jane moved her fingers inside Maura she said, "I was going to say that I... I...that I'm in love with you."

Jane's admission was more than Maura expected and it was almost too much. She took Jane's face in her hands and kissed her, hoping the kiss could convey the depth of her feelings and that it would be enough for Jane right now.

* * *

><p>After they were showered, dressed, and fed, Maura decided she did want to go to Williamstown, but first she wanted to go to see the house Doyle owned in New Haven. They checked out of the hotel and drove the short distance to the address in Doyle's financial records. It was a fairly nondescript Victorian house that had seen better days. The general state of the houses on the street suggested this was a neighborhood full of students and other renters.<p>

Jane parked the car and then they stood on the sidewalk outside the house. "I wonder why he purchased it," Maura said.

"It was pretty early in his, uh, career too. I wonder how he had enough money. Maybe he thought if he got out of Boston it would be safer. Maybe he tried to convince Hope that she could go to school and she or they both could raise you here. But we don't know if she even lived in it, only that he owned it."

"Do you think we can find out if she lived here?"

"Some cities do an annual census of residents. But it's usually done through self reporting so if New Haven did one back then there's no way to know if it's complete. Hope changed her name soon after moving here so she may have been trying to stay off the radar. I can make some phone calls when we get home if you want."

Jane walked back to the car and let Maura take her time before joining her.

* * *

><p>They arrived in Williamstown mid-afternoon after a relatively quiet drive, both women having been preoccupied with their own thoughts. The plan was to first go to Williams College and see if there was anyone available whom Maura could talk to about Hope. Once on campus, after asking for directors a couple of times, they found the building that housed the offices for the English Department.<p>

Before entering Jane put her hand on Maura's arm and said, "I think it's better if you do this alone."

"Oh, okay."

"I should really make some phone calls. I'm gonna go find a quiet spot and do what I need to do. You just call me if you need me, okay?"

Before Jane could leave, Maura wrapped her arms around her then kissed her on the cheek and said, Thank you."

* * *

><p>Jane walked around the campus a bit and then, although it was a bit chilly outside, she found a secluded bench to sit on. She called Frost first and found out he had been given the same suspension. Frost told her that Cavanaugh was also trying to figure out what other punishments he could give them, including whether Internal Affairs should be investigating them for what happened in the warehouse or for possible past unreported involvement with Patrick Doyle. Frost said he already had a union rep ready to support them with whatever happened. Jane told Frost that if Cavanaugh came up with anything legitimate she'd take the blame.<p>

Jane then called her mother. After Angela listened to Jane's summary of where they were and what they'd found so far, she said, "So, how is everything between you and Maura."

"They're...they're different I guess. I told her how I felt about her," Jane said.

"What did she say?"

"She didn't really say anything, but I think she feels the same way."

"Did you, you know...?" Angela said suggestively.

"God, stop, you're not allowed to ask that."

"Oh Jane, I don't know how you became such a prude."

"Hmm, maybe it was the twelve years of Catholic school you made me go to, Ma. Anyway, are you doing okay? Is it okay having Constance there?"

"I'm fine honey and we're having a good time."

"Okay, we should be back tonight or tomorrow. Love you, Ma."

"I love you too, baby."

Right after Jane ended the call with her mother, Maura called and asked Jane to meet her back at the English Department.

* * *

><p>Jane found Maura in the hallway that housed the English Department faculty offices. "Hey, what's going on?"<p>

"I talked a little bit with the department administrator and faculty chair of the department about my mother. She'd been teaching here for almost twenty years. As far as they know she had no family, no significant other, she didn't talk about herself much. But she was a highly respected teacher and the students loved her." Maura pointed to the door in front of where they were standing. "This was her office. The department hasn't needed to use it yet and they didn't know what to do with everything inside, so nothing's been touched since she died. They told me I could look around and if there was anything I wanted to take I can. I wanted you to be here with me for this."

"Okay, let's do it." Jane said. When Maura didn't move at all, Jane went to the office door, opened it, ushered Maura inside, and shut the door behind them.

It was a relatively small room with a desk and a few chairs. Three of the walls were covered with bookshelves.

"What did she teach?" Jane asked.

Maura sat down in the chair behind the desk. "Mostly contemporary literature and writing, I think."

"I have no idea what that means. So are we looking for anything specific?"

"I just want something that gives me a sense of who she was. The people I talked to knew her as a colleague but they didn't seem to think they really knew her."

"What did those people say when you told them who you were?" Jane asked.

"They were surprised. They had no idea, which makes sense, you wouldn't around telling people about the baby you gave up for adoption. They both said the saw the resemblance between us and they were sorry I didn't get to meet her before she passed away. It happened really quickly, which is common with pancreatic cancer. She told the department she was sick and taking leave for treatment and she died within a few months."

Jane found a few boxes on one of the shelves that appeared to be filled with old student papers, emptied them, and passed them to Maura to put stuff in she wanted to take. They spent the next hour looking through the shelves and desk for anything that looked interesting. Jane let Maura take her time and after awhile just started throwing books that looked interesting into the box.

There was a knock at the door and Jane opened it. The department administrator came in and after exchanging introductions with Jane said, "Dr. Isles, I made some calls about Professor Baldwin's apartment. She lived in faculty housing owned by the college. The apartment has been cleaned out, but they put aside a few boxes of personal papers and items in case anyone turned up to claim them. They're in the facilities management office and I told them you might come by to pick them up."

"Thank you so much," Maura said. "I took some stuff from her desk here and Jane took some books, if that's okay. But I think we're done here."

"That's fine. Please let us know if there's anything else we can do for you." She gave them directors to the facilities management office and left.

Jane looked expectantly at Maura and said, "Well?"

"I want to get those boxes and then I think it's time to go home, Jane."


	10. Chapter 10

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 10**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>Maura slept for most of their drive back to Boston, leaving Jane alone with her thoughts. The closer they got to Boston, the more tense and anxious Jane became. She still didn't know the full repercussions of failing to show up to the press conference about Doyle's death. If Cavanaugh wanted to dig he could find out that both her and Maura had had interactions with Doyle that went unreported. He could probably take away her badge. Cavanaugh didn't have authority over Maura but he could make trouble for her in a very high profile way.<p>

Maura had held up well the past twenty-four hours, Jane thought. Probably too well. Jane was afraid Maura was not really dealing with her emotions. Jane couldn't help wondering if what had happened last night, and this morning, was Maura trying to avoid dealing with the deaths of Doyle and her mother. Like maybe she was trying to push those thoughts and emotions away and occupy her mind with other stuff.

Just thinking about kissing Maura made Jane feel warm all over. But then remembering their bodies pressed together, the feeling of being inside Maura, Jane had never let herself believe it would ever happen. Then it did and if it turned out it wasn't real for Maura, Jane didn't know how to handle that. She just kept telling herself that regardless of everything else going on in her life, Maura did say she wanted her and Maura couldn't lie.

By the time they arrived at Maura's house it was after 10pm. The lights were off in the guest house. Maura looked in on Constance and she was asleep too. Frankie was no longer staying there as they had all decided that if there was going to be any trouble it would have happened already.

Jane brought the boxes of Hope's things in from the car and deposited them in the room on the second floor Maura used as sort of an office and library. After bringing up the last box, Jane sat down at the desk and started to make a phone call. When Jane didn't come out of the room, Maura went to check on her. Seeing her on the phone, Maura said, "What are you doing?"

"Calling a cab to take me home. I'm on hold."

Maura was confused. "You aren't staying?"

Jane ended the call. "Maura, a lot has happened this week. You've had to deal with a lot of stuff and I-" Jane started before Maura cut in.

"Don't patronize me, Jane. I'm well aware of everything that's happened this week and of your part in it. Because of all of that I need you right now. I thought is was pretty clear that despite of everything I still want to be with you."

"I don't want to mess this up. I don't want whatever is happening between us to be overwhelming or move too fast or impede on you being able to, I don't know, deal with all this other stuff going on."

"I would really appreciate it if you stayed here tonight, just to be here with me."

"I very much want to stay but I am concerned about how much has happened and then adding our new, uh, stuff, on top of that."

"You think things have changed because we had sex," Maura stated flatly.

Jane was nonplussed. "Yes, of course, that changes things. If you don't think it does...I don't-"

Maura took hold of Jane's hands. "Jane, relax, please. That's not what I meant. What I should have said is that we're still us. We've added something new, but we're still us, right?"

"Yeah, okay, let's just go to bed. I'm too tired to try to figure out what we're talking about anymore tonight."

They fell asleep with Maura on her back and Jane curled next to her, one arm draped across Maura's stomach. Jane woke up in the middle of the night in an empty bed. She looked at the clock and saw it was a little after 3am. She waited, thinking Maura had gotten up for a drink or something, but when after a few minutes Maura didn't return, Jane got up and went in search of her.

The light was on in the office down the hall and Jane went to check it out. Maura was sitting on the floor surrounded by papers. And she was sobbing. Her whole body was shaking from crying. Jane immediately went to sit down in front of Maura and, unsure of what to say, simply pulled Maura onto her lap and into a tight hug.

Jane initially assumed Maura was looking through Hope's stuff, but as she glanced around at the papers on the floor she realized they were from the folder from Dean about Doyle. "Oh, sweetie," Jane whispered.

They stayed in that position on the floor for awhile, with Maura continuing to sob into Jane's neck. Once Maura regained some composure she said into Jane's neck, "I couldn't sleep. I thought I would come look at some of Hope's things, but I saw the folder from Dean and I had to look. I had to know what was in there."

"It's okay, honey."

"How can this monster be my father?"

"He's not your father, he's just the sperm donor. It's just chromosomes, or something, I don't actually know, but he has nothing to do with who you are. You are nothing like him."

That sent Maura into a new round of crying. "He kept trying to convince me he wasn't a bad guy. I wanted that to be true so badly that I believed his justifications for the bad things he did. I believed his lies."

"He obviously cared very much for you and he wanted you to think well of him. He was very charismatic. He got to the position he was in because he knew exactly how to tell people what they wanted to hear. We definitely know you didn't inherit that ability from him."

That earned a choked laugh from Maura that came out sounding like a hiccup.

"Can we go back to bed now?" Jane asked.

* * *

><p>A few hours later Jane woke up again. She could hear activity downstairs. Maura was fast asleep and stayed that way as Jane got up and went downstairs.<p>

Jane found Constance moving around the kitchen in her wheelchair. "Would you like some help?" Jane asked.

"Jane, you startled me. Thank you, I could use some help making coffee. I can't quite reach everything in this chair. Your mother has been doing so much to help me, but I thought I could at least try to make a cup of coffee. Did you spend the night here?"

Jane started moving around the kitchen and said, "Oh, uh, yeah I did. We, um, got back late last night and Maura asked me to stay."

Constance grinned at Jane's discomfort. "So you two have made up then?"

"You could say that, I guess. Maybe you should ask Maura." Desperately trying to change the subject, Jane said, "So did Maura tell you what we found out about Hope?"

"She told me what she knew two nights ago. Is there anything new?"

"Not really. We were able to get some personal things of her's from her job and house. Maura hasn't really been able to look at them yet though."

"How is Maura handling everything?"

Jane wasn't really sure how to answer that. "It's hard to tell." Jane's phone, which was in a pocket of her jacket which was hanging by the front door started to ring. Jane apologized to Constance and went to answer it. It was Lieutenant Cavanaugh asking her to come in to meet with him as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>Jane wanted to let Maura sleep without disturbing her, so she borrowed Maura's car and before going to headquarters, drove to her apartment to shower, put on some clean clothes, and pack a bag with more clothes for whatever the next few days brought.<p>

When Jane entered Cavanaugh's office she found Agent Dean there too. "Oh, come on, what's he doing here?" She asked Cavanaugh.

"This is a joint BPD-FBI investigation," Cavanaugh replied.

"Investigation? What investigation," Jane asked.

"Did you ever wonder, Jane," Dean said, "why Patrick Doyle stayed out of prison when most of the rest of Bulger's crew was arrested?"

"Well, yeah, kind of," Jane said honestly.

Dean continued, "Someone, or probably multiple people in both the FBI and BPD, were protecting him and we're trying to figure out who those people are."

Jane looked back and forth between Dean and Cavanaugh waiting for one of them to explain what that had to do with her. "No. You can't possibly be suggesting it was me. I was at the academy when Bulger was arrested, for christ's sake."

"Which is a great time to be recruited by organized crime," Dean answered.

"Give me a break."

"Well," Cavanaugh interjected, "we have to investigate every piece of evidence we find. A few months ago Doyle called you on your BPD issued cell phone while he was a suspect in one of your cases."

"He called to tell me to take care of Maura. This is bullshit and you both know it," Jane said angrily. Turning to Dean she said, "Why are you doing this?"

"Don't take things so personally, Rizzoli. I'm just doing my job."

"Is it your job to be a giant fucking asshole? Don't you have better things to do on Saturday morning than play games with me?"

Dean just smirked. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Dr. Isles. If there is anything you know that you are not disclosing, it's better for you to let us know now than to have us find out on our own. We're trying to clean house here in Boston."

Jane stepped closer to Dean and said quietly, although she was sure Cavanaugh could hear her, "What happened to you? I don't even recognize you anymore. But I promise that if you ever bother Maura again I'm going to shoot you in your other leg." She turned to Cavanaugh and said, "Lieutenant, is there anything else?"

"You're free to go Rizzoli."

Jane hesitated. She felt like she wanted to say more but she wasn't sure what it was. She loved her job, more than almost anything, and all the sacrifices she had ever made for it were worth it. She'd done difficult and occasionally questionable things in the name of justice, and Jane always thought what she did was justifiable. But right now, all this stuff with Doyle and the FBI's involvement didn't sit right with her. Something about it felt wrong and it made her feel dirty and used. But she couldn't put her finger on what exactly was wrong.

"Was there something else Detective?" Cavanaugh said when Jane didn't immediately leave.

"Uh, no sir," Jane said and walked out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 11**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>Jane went to back to Maura's house when she left headquarters. She visited her mother in the guest house first, bringing lunch for the two of them to eat while Jane gave an update on what they had found about Hope on their trip.<p>

"I heard you spent the night last night," Angela teased after Jane finished updating her.

Jane shook her head. "When I came downstairs this morning I wasn't thinking about what it would look like," she answered.

"If it isn't what it looked like, what is it?" Angela asked.

Jane shrugged. "Too soon to tell."

"Does Maura know how you feel?"

"Yes. But," Jane said emphatically before Angela could say anything else, "Maura can tell me how she feels when she's ready. She's got enough to deal with right now without me pressuring her."

"Don't worry, she loves you."

"Thanks, Ma, but honestly I just want things to get back to normal. Whatever happens beyond that happens. And you and Constance gossiping about us is freaking me out a little. So can you take your weird glee about my feelings for Maura down a notch? Otherwise I'm gonna stop telling you things."

* * *

><p>A little while later, Jane and Maura were sitting on the floor of Maura's office. When Jane came back Maura had been sitting with her mother, but Constance said she needed to rest for a while so they went upstairs to look through Hope's things. Jane was mostly just sitting and thinking. Maura was looking through papers and folders and making piles on the floor that Jane assumed had some organizational purpose.<p>

"Jane? Jane?" Maura said trying to get Jane's attention.

Jane finally said, "What's up Maur?"

"Are you okay? You've been pretty out of it since you got back from your meeting. What's the expression? You're a million miles away?"

Jane hadn't said anything yet about her meeting that morning. She wasn't sure if she should tell Maura what happened. Jane didn't want to give Maura something else to think about but she also really wanted to talk to someone about it.

"Are you going to tell me about it or not?" Maura finally said when Jane remained silent.

Jane let out a loud sigh. "Cavanaugh called me this morning and told me to come in for a meeting. I figured it would be about my suspension, like he'd come up with another punishment for me. But instead Dean was there claiming there's a joint BPD-FBI investigation into who within our organizations has been working for Doyle. You know, feeding him info, protecting him."

"What did they want from you?" Maura asked.

"Dean claimed they were looking into all leads. He said they found out that Doyle called my cell phone, remember he called after he showed up here hurt. But I don't know if they're being serious about me being a possible leak, or if they were just jerking me around, or what. This so-called investigation doesn't make any sense. Doyle is dead. They should be concentrating on what's left of his organization and the new mob bosses that have stepped into his place."

"If there's a dirty cop or FBI agent I think it makes sense to find out," Maura said.

"Sure, but I don't trust Dean. Like him giving you that folder and sort of vaguely threatening you. It doesn't make any sense. I don't understand what he's really up to."

"Just don't do anything rash okay?" Maura said seriously.

"What? I don't do things rashly," Jane protested.

"Please?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful."

Maura went back to looking through Hope's papers and Jane fell back into silent thought until Maura said, "Jane, look," and handed her a manila folder.

Jane opened it and the page on top was a printout of an article about Maura's appointment to Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The other pages in the folder were all articles about cases Maura was involved in and had testified or made other public comments about, including stories about Hoyt's apprentice and the siege on police headquarters. "She was following your career," Jane said. She looked up from the folder at Maura and saw tears streaming down her face and immediately moved to comfort her.

"No, it's okay," Maura said as she tried to wipe the tears off her face. "I'm happy she knew at least something about me."

"Yeah, she knew you were successful and brilliant, and," Jane held up the picture that accompanied the article about Maura's appointment to Chief Medical Examiner, "gorgeous. I'm sure she was really proud of you. It's too bad she never tried to contact you."

"I think under the terms of the adoption she would have been forbidden from contacting me. But this, I don't know, it kind of makes me feel better. She cared about me enough to keep these and although it's too late to really get to know each other, we at least weren't complete strangers to each other." Maura wiped her hands over her face. "Okay, I think that's enough of this today. I want to do something normal tonight."

"Regular people normal or normal for you?" Jane teased, sensing Maura's mood had greatly improved.

"Stop it," Maura said playfully. "I want to go out to dinner and, I don't know, a show or something."

"So what you're saying is you wanna go on a date?"

"Yes, I suppose I am saying that. Jane, would you care to go on a date with me?" Maura asked brightly.

* * *

><p>They agreed on a place for dinner, a Japanese restaurant within walking distance from Maura's house, and left the rest of the evening to be determined. It was nice for both of them, doing something normal. Jane felt like she was breathing easier than she had for the past week until, when there was a lull in the conversation, Maura asked "Do you wanna talk about last night?"<p>

"Only if you want to talk about it," Jane responded.

Maura dropped her gaze to her food. "I want to say something. Thank you for taking care of me last night. I feel so stupid for trying to believe anything good about him. I'm still kind of an emotional wreck. Every time I think I've gained control over them something else sets me off. Although I'm feeling a lot better now. And I know I said it before, but I'm so sorry for comparing you to Doyle. You have to believe that I don't think you are anything like him."

Jane considered it for a moment before responding, "I'm a little bit like him."

"Jane, don't think that way."

Jane reached across the table and took hold of Maura's free hand. "No, look, I understand him. Both he and I are willing to go to great extremes to protect the people we care about. I certainly won't forget that he was at the warehouse to protect you and that he did protect you." When Maura didn't respond to that, Jane pulled back her hand and cleared her throat before saying, "So, I was thinking about something. Have you come across anything about whether Hope was buried or if there is some place we can go pay our respects to her?"

"Actually I did find something. She donated her body the University of Massachusetts Medical School."

Jane was confused. "For research?"

"Not exactly. All medical students, usually in their first, have a human anatomy course that includes dissecting a cadaver. Schools rely on people to donate their bodies for the courses."

"Oh. Isn't that kind of weird to think about?" Jane asked.

Maura cocked an eyebrow, "Because performing autopsies is weird?"

Jane smiled. "That's not what I meant. I mean thinking about other people doing that to someone you know or a family member."

"It's not weird to me, in fact I find it incredibly moving. How do you think I learned how to do my job? I'm donating my body when I die. But as for your question, she stipulated that her body be cremated afterwards but there is no other instruction so I'm not sure. Often schools will have a memorial service once a year to honor the families of people who have donated their bodies. I'll have to check with the school to see if that has happened yet."

"Okay, but that can't be coincidental right? You're a medical examiner and she donated her body to the future medical examiners of Massachusetts."

"Well, future doctors, but it could be a coincidence. She didn't have any family around so maybe it seemed like an easy thing to do."

Jane shook her head. "Or more likely she was inspired by you. If there is a memorial service or something I'll go with you if you want."

"Thanks, Jane. That would be nice."

After finishing eating and leaving the restaurant, Jane said, "So where to now?"

"Actually I think I'm ready to just relax at home, if that's okay with you? Maybe we could just watch a movie."

Jane had been thinking about something all day and was hoping to put if off longer, but the time to bring it up had arrived. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Please don't be upset, but I don't think I should be spending the night right now. So I think I should head home now."

Maura was confused and hurt. "Why?"

"Both of our mothers noticed that I stayed last night and asked me about it. I don't think I should stay until I know how to answer their questions about what's going on with us."

Jane watched Maura's expression become closed off. "Oh. Okay, I understand. Will I see you tomorrow?"

Jane felt terrible but she knew it was the right thing to do for them right now. "Sure. We'll talk in the morning."

"Do you need a ride home?"

"I'll just jump on the T. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No, that's okay."

"So, uh," Jane moved closer and gave Maura an awkward hug. "Goodnight, Maur."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I often forget to say it, but thanks for reading for all the alerts and reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 12**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>Maura let Jane hug her and then turned quickly away and started walking towards home. She felt once again like she was on the verge of breaking apart and she wouldn't do it in front of Jane again. It wasn't fair to her. Jane had accepted Maura's abuse at the hospital and she had taken her in her arms last night to comfort her. It wasn't acceptable anymore to make Jane bear the brunt of her emotions.<p>

For a week Maura had given herself the liberty of letting go and for the first time in her life letting her heart rule her head. She didn't regret that. It was cathartic and almost definitely necessary. Having her mother, with whom she had only just formed a close bond, get critically hurt, followed immediately by the death of Doyle and the discovery of new information about her birth mother, would probably have been impossible for Maura to deal with in her normal stoic, rational, contained manner.

The problem was now that Maura had unleashed her emotions it seemed impossible to get them under control again. Just that morning she had been watching the news with the mother and nearly started crying at a commercial. This emotional state had become unmanageable and unacceptable. So it was time for Maura to pull herself together.

* * *

><p>Jane had been home for about an hour, getting her bedroom back to how she liked it after her mother had rearranged everything, when she heard knocking at her door. She went to door and through the peephole saw Maura standing in front of her door. Jane opened the door and said, "Hey."<p>

Maura was standing at door with a duffle bag, which Jane realized was one she had left at Maura's, on her shoulder. "What if I stayed here tonight? Would that be okay?"

Jane grinned and said, "Come on in." She shut the door behind Maura and continued, "I think I've got a bottle of red wine. Do you want me to open it?"

"Maybe just some water," Maura answered.

Jane poured a glass of water and grabbed a beer for herself and joined Maura on the couch, handing Maura her water. "Did you wanna watch something?"

Maura didn't answer. Instead she put her glass of water on the coffee table in front of them and then took Jane's beer out of her hand and set it next to her water. She moved closer to Jane and, flicking her eyes back and forth between Jane's eyes and mouth, leaned in to kiss Jane. Jane eagerly returned the kiss. When Maura pulled back she said, "Does that help you know what's going on with us?"

Jane laughed lightly. "Not really. This is one time I really don't want to guess."

Maura closed her eyes. It was simple really, she just had to say a few words. Jane had already done the hard part, actually all of the hard parts. Maura had been a complete mess the past week and Jane had stood by her the whole time, even when Maura was terrible to her. And Maura certainly had no doubt about how she felt. It just wasn't something she was accustomed to saying. She could probably count on one hand the number of times she had said 'I love you' to or heard it from her parents. Maura opened her eyes and saw Jane watching her patiently. "I love you, Jane. You are everything to me."

Jane kissed Maura lightly on the lips and then rested her forehead against Maura's before whispering, "Thank you."

"Please don't, you don't have to thank me."

Jane straightened up. "Yeah, I do. I feel like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. This has been the longest week of my life. I just, god, I love you so much, and I thought I was going to lose you. Thank you for not, I don't know, turning your back on me and giving up on us."

"Never," Maura said softly.

Jane stood up and held out her hand to Maura and said, "Come on."

"What are we doing?"

"Going to the bedroom. We don't have to do any, uh, stuff, but I need to be closer to you than this couch allows."

"I should tell you one more thing before we go. I told my mother and Angela that we would have brunch with them tomorrow."

"Okay," Jane said slowly, sensing there was more.

"I also told them that I was coming over here to tell you that I love you and that they should expect to see you at my house more frequently, at all hours of the day."

Jane could only smile and shake her head at Maura's ridiculous thoroughness. "Anything else?"

"Was it too soon or too much to tell them?" Maura asked.

"No, it was very, uh, comprehensive of you. Can we stop talking about our mothers now?"

"Yes."

"Good, come on." Jane took Maura's hand and pulled her up and then led her to the bedroom.

Both women took some time to get ready for bed. Jane finished cleaning up things in her bedroom while Maura got ready. When Jane finished up and changed into a tank top and underwear, Maura was already in bed. Jane tied her hair back a in loose ponytail and slipped under the covers, gasping slightly when she pressed against Maura's body and discovered that she was completely naked.

"For the record, this is my usual sleeping attire," Maura said.

Jane's hand gripped Maura's hip as their legs intertwined. "I've seen you in pajamas before. Those fancy, silky pajamas."

Maura's hand rested on the back of Jane's neck. "You have, when it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to be naked with you."

"Oh." Jane lightly kissed Maura on the lips.

"I hope you were just trying to be nice when you said we didn't have to do...stuff, I think was the word you used."

They kissed again. "I don't want you to think this is just about sex for me," Jane said.

"Of course I don't think that. I know you don't treat sex casually and you told me how you feel about me."

Jane's hand trailed down the outside of Maura's leg. "And there's no rush."

"No there isn't, although I don't know why we waited so long."

Jane took hold of Maura's leg behind her knee and pulled Maura's leg over her own hip. "Now isn't the time for that discussion."

Maura's breathing hitched as Jane's hand started a path up the inside of her thigh. "No?"

"No, definitely not," Jane said as hand her reached Maura's center and her fingers dragged through Maura's wet folds.

Maura tightened her gripped on Jane's neck. "Do you know how you make me feel?"

Jane's fingers concentrated on Maura's clit. "Good, I hope."

Maura whimpered and then whispered, "Perfect." They kissed slowly and passionately. "Jane, make it last. This feels so perfect, I don't want it to stop."

Jane brought Maura to edge over and over again. Speeding up and then pulling back and slowing down until Maura's whole body was shaking and Jane made her come.


	13. Chapter 13

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 13**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

* * *

><p>The week following the night Maura showed up at Jane's apartment went by far too quickly for Jane's liking. She still had a few days left on her suspension and although she loved work, she was not anxious to give up all the time she had been spending with Maura and her family.<p>

Maura was still on indefinite leave and wasn't sure when she was going to go back to work. She usually spent the day with Constance or continuing to look through Hope's things. Constance was feeling better every day but still had a long way to go before she was fully recovered and Maura was trying to make the most of their extended time together.

Maura had been planning a number of projects to renovate the guest house that didn't happen once Angela moved in. Since Angela was pretty settled and Maura didn't really want her to go anywhere, Jane offered to do some of the projects Maura had wanted to do. So Jane spent her days with things like painting and remodeling the guest house bathroom. And then they'd all have family dinner together before Maura and Jane spent the evening with each other.

It was morning and Jane and Maura were lying in bed half-asleep. It was one of the best parts of the last week. Not having to get up for anything in particular and just lying together in bed. But Jane's phone was ringing.

"Don't answer it," Maura mumbled into Jane's neck from where she was curled into Jane's side.

Jane grabbed the phone off the nightstand and looked at it. "It's Korsak, I should answer it." Jane answered the phone with, "What is it Korsak?"

Maura decided that since they were both fully awake they should make the most of it. She started to kiss Jane's chest.

"Okay, talk," Jane said into the phone.

Maura continued to kiss a trail down Jane's abdomen, grateful that Jane had picked up her habit of sleeping in the nude.

Jane watched Maura's head steadily moving lower and then looked at the bedside clock which read 9:20. "Okay, can we meet at 11? I have to finish something. Okay, bye."

"You have to go?" Maura asked in between kisses.

"Korsak needs to talk in person. But we have a little time," Jane responded as she squirmed under the touch of Maura's mouth, which was now at the top of her thighs.

Maura stopped kissing and looked up at Jane. "Some days I think about not going back to work. We could just do this all the time. No distractions."

"_You_ could stop working. I kinda have to work," Jane replied.

Maura grinned and climbed up on top of Jane and kissed her lips before saying, "With all the work you've been doing around here, you could just be..."

Jane raised her eyebrows. "What, your hired help?"

Maura scrunched her face and said, "That's not what I meant. I mean, I don't know what I meant. I was trying to make a joke."

Jane snorted. "Trying being the operative word. But okay, keep going with this little scenario. We both stop working and I become whatever the female version of a pool boy is, right?"

Maura's hand tickled the inside of Jane's thigh and started to move higher. "There would be certain perks."

"Now you're starting to make more sense," Jane breathed before moaning as Maura's fingers reached their destination, swirling across Jane's clit.

"No more long hours. No more calls to crime scenes in the middle of the night. No more trips to the hospital," Maura increased the pace of her fingers stroking Jane's clit as Jane arched into the touch

"Maura," Jane said softly.

Maura sucked on Jane's neck. "It's just a fantasy."

"I know, it's just-" Jane trailed off.

"Not going to happen. I know."

"Kiss me," Jane said. Maura kissed Jane as she entered her with two fingers and continued kissing her until Jane came.

* * *

><p>At 11am, Jane met Korsak and Frost on the football field of the high school that was a couple of blocks from police headquarters. It was where they met when they needed to talk and make sure that no one could eavesdrop on them.<p>

"What's up?" Jane asked.

Korsak began, "Agent Dean is looking into Tommy O'Rouke's murder. He pulled the box two days ago. He was waiting for me this morning. He asked why we didn't make an arrest."

"What did you tell him?" Jane asked.

"The truth. That the limited evidence pointed towards Paddy Doyle or one of his men. But there wasn't enough evidence to know who actually did it and Paddy was in the wind then anyway. It's not like we could bring him in for questioning."

"Okay," Jane said.

Korsak continued, "Dean suggested we were covering up for Doyle. What makes him think he can just come in here and start questioning what we do? And why is Cavanaugh letting him?"

"Dean is coming after us and I don't know why. Or maybe he's just coming after me. I don't know what is going on with him. Dean knows something that either we don't know or we don't know he knows. So, we have to get this all out in the open. Who tipped off Doyle that O'Rourke killed Colin Doyle?" Jane asked.

"I assumed it was you," Korsak responded.

Jane shook her head. "I wanted to, to protect Maura. But Maura told me not to, so I didn't tip him off. I assumed it was you."

"Wasn't me. Maura said not to, so I respected her wishes," Korsak replied.

"So, no one thought it was me?" Frost said indignantly.

"Was it?" Jane asked.

"No," Frost said sheepishly.

"So who else knew about Maura's connection to Doyle and that we id'ed O'Rourke?" Jane said.

"And so quickly? O'Rourke was killed that night, and we didn't even tell Cavanaugh until the next day," Frost added.

"O'Rourke could have talked, could have said something to the wrong person and it got back to Doyle," Korsak suggested.

"Dean was in town then," Jane said.

"What?" Korsak said confused.

Jane continued, "Right before Colin Doyle was killed, Dean was in town. He said it was because of Hoyt but what if he was already working on Doyle? What if he's been lying this whole time and he's been watching Doyle and watching us?"

"Jane, doesn't that seem a little far-fetched?" Frost said.

Jane started pacing. "Okay, let's review what we know. Dean showed up last week pretending, or implying, that he was here to see me. When I mentioned Doyle, he didn't say anything, but it turns out he was actually here to go after Doyle. After Doyle died, he told Maura if she knew anything about Doyle's crimes she should come forward. Now Dean is investigating the death of Tommy O'Rourke."

"Do you think Maura called Doyle about O'Rourke?" Korsak asked.

"No, there's no way," Jane answered.

"But maybe Dean thinks she did and that we're covering up for her," Frost suggested.

"Maybe, okay, I gotta go," Jane said and started walking away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Frost yelled after her.

"To talk to Dean," Jane called over her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Jane waited in Room 621 of the Omni Parker Hotel, an historic hotel several blocks from Boston's FBI headquarters. It was the hotel the FBI always put its out of town agents up at when they were in Boston. It had been frighteningly easy to get Dean's room number and access to the room from the front desk clerk. Jane should really have a word with her about it before she left.<p>

Now Jane was just waiting. She was sitting in the room's only chair, watching the door. Her gun was in her left hand, resting in her lap. Jane heard movement outside the door and the key card slipping into the door. The door opened. Dean look surprised for a split second but then he simply said, "Hello, Jane."

"You don't seem too surprised to see me here," Jane replied.

"After a year in Afghanistan, it's hard to be surprised about anything. How'd you get in my room?" he asked.

Jane stood up and gestured with her gun for Dean to take her spot in the chair. "I told the nice young woman at the desk I was your fiancee and I wanted to surprise you. People just get so excited when other people are getting married."

"Funny. What do you want, Jane?"

"Sit down," Jane said sharply. "I want to get your bullshit investigation over with. And I want to know what you're really up to?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked innocently.

"Tommy O'Rourke's murder. Why are you looking into it?" Jane asked.

"I told you, Jane. We're cleaning house. O'Rourke's murder is still unsolved. We believe someone tipped off Doyle that O'Rourke killed Colin Doyle. We want to know who that was."

Jane shook her head. "No one from BPD tipped him off. And if you think Maura had anything to do with it, you couldn't be further from the truth. What business is it of the FBI's anyway?"

"You're really out of your league here Jane. You have no idea what you're dealing with. You've been lucky so far, but someday going into situations guns blazing and without all the information is going to get you killed. You should learn how to mind your own business and go back to playing house with Dr. Isles."

"This is my business," Jane yelled. "You're messing with Maura and with my team and I want it to stop."

Jane's phone starting ringing. Keeping her eyes on Dean she answered it, "Rizzoli."

It was Korsak. He said, "I talked to my source at the FBI, to see if knew anything about Dean. Whatever Dean is doing he's on his own. He's not part of the Doyle operation. He was sent home from Afghanistan. My buddy can't tell for sure, but he thinks Dean might have been fired from the FBI."

"Fuck," Jane said as she ended the phone call.


	14. Chapter 14

**Long Way Around**

**Chapter 14**

_Disclaimer: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use._

**_A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I got a little tired of dealing with the post-Season 2 finale world. But this chapter takes us to the end of this little story. I have another one-shot I'm working on that should be posted soon. Thanks for reading!_**

* * *

><p>"I guess you got a little more information about the situation," Dean said as Jane put away her phone and raised her gun at him.<p>

"Who are you working for?" Jane asked.

"Do you know what Afghanistan is like, Jane?"

"Who the fuck are you working for?" Jane asked again.

Dean raised his hands as if in surrender. "I'll tell you, but don't you want the whole story?"

"Fine. Talk."

"Afghanistan is a total hellhole. I saw things there that I will never forget, that will keep me up at night for the rest of my life. Plus, everywhere there's poverty and corruption, and the only part of the economy that works is the heroin trade. The U.S. government uses private contractors for as much as possible in Afghanistan even to work with the FBI, so mostly I was working with private contractors not soldiers or other FBI agents. There was a security contractor out of Boston. I have no idea how they were awarded the contract because they're connected to the Patriarca crime family, and not shy about it. The whole reason they were in Afghanistan was to get a heroin hook up. That was easy. The hard part was getting the heroin into Boston because Doyle had the ports and the drug trade locked down. Eventually these guys came to me. They figured the FBI would have a common interest with them, taking out Doyle."

"So you're working for the mafia?" Jane said, her voice laced with disgust.

"It was so easy Jane. I looked into the FBI investigation into Doyle, which as you know has been happening for a couple of years. But they weren't anywhere near making a move. So these guys, they asked me to kill him. I resigned my position in the FBI and came back to Boston."

"Why did you agree to do it though?"

Dean shrugged. "Money."

Jane took a moment to think through what Dean had told her so far. "So you quit the FBI? But how come they don't care that you're still acting like an agent?"

"The FBI is a total mess right now and I don't think they even know I was at the warehouse. Doyle's death totally fucked up their investigation and then they were totally unprepared for the aftermath. Of course the Patriarca family was prepared and they've consolidated power. No one was expecting that either. They've been somewhat off the radar for awhile."

"So Doyle's dead, but you're still hanging around. Why are you still here? And what does Maura have to do with this? Why were you still bothering her after Doyle was dead?" Jane asked.

"Because I haven't completed my mission. Someone tipped off Doyle about O'Rourke right? And it was probably someone in BPD. The Patriarca family was really paranoid about Doyle's connections within the police department."

Jane picked up the thread of Dean's story. "And you were supposed to find out who the connection was and kill that person too. So if it had been me or Maura you would have killed us? For the fucking mafia?" Jane said disbelievingly.

Dean shrugged again before saying. "Yes I would have. Why are you so sure it wasn't Maura? I haven't rule her out yet."

"Because I know her," Jane answered angrily. She took out her phone and pushed a few buttons. "Hey Korsak. I need you and a squad car at the Omni Parker Hotel, Room 621. Okay, see you in a few."

Dean sat forward in his chair. "You're going to arrest me? For what?"

"Is that a serious question?"

"Jane, I was hoping when I found you here in my hotel room that we could work out our differences. I honestly really like you."

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose. "You've got to be shitting me," Jane said but then immediately realized she had taken her attention off of Dean just long enough for him to make his move. By the time she saw Dean moving, any advantage she'd had was gone. And she hadn't bothered to frisk Dean when he came in, which in retrospect was a little too cocky.

Jane tried to duck into the bathroom to her left as she saw Dean standing up with a gun in his hand but she heard the shot and dropped to the ground as she felt the bullet hit her upper arm. "Son of a bitch," Jane yelled. "Backup is going to be here any minute, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Going out with a bang. I knew as soon as I found you here that I wasn't going to get out of this unless I took you out. But I also know that wasn't going to be a problem. See Jane, I know you. You shouldn't have come here. You aren't going to do anything to me. That's why shit keeps happening to you. You don't follow through to finish things off. You were always tough right up until the time came to take real action. That's when you lost your will, why you keep getting hurt. Does Hoyt still haunt your dreams?"

After checking out her arm and deciding it wasn't too bad, Jane took a deep breath and stood up, leaning against the wall inside the bathroom next to the door. "Things change. You've been out of the loop for too long, Dean. Hoyt's dead. I killed him. I stabbed a fucking scalpel into his heart. And I did that because he went after Maura."

Dean laughed. "Jane you are so fucking-"

Jane didn't get to hear what exactly Dean thought she was because it was that moment that she chose to step back into the room and fire two shots, hitting Dean in the thigh and in the abdomen. Jane ducked back into the bathroom. A few seconds later the hotel room door burst open and a uniform entered, gun raised.

"He's got a gun," Jane said.

Another uniform came into the room, gun raised, followed by Korsak. "What the hell happened, Jane? We talked less than ten minutes ago."

"He needs an EMT but just fucking arrest him and I'll tell you everything once we get to the hospital. He's fucking crazy and working with Patriarca to import heroin."

Korsak's jaw dropped. "Shit. Okay, okay, let's go. Time for another trip to the hospital."

* * *

><p>A few hours later Jane was sitting in a room in the emergency department waiting to be discharged. Dean's bullet had only really grazed Jane's arm. She had been stitched up and given her statement on the events in Dean's hotel room twice. Once to Korsak and once to a couple of FBI agents. Then she got yelled at by Cavanaugh for awhile. Now she was just waiting for someone to return to tell her she could leave.<p>

Jane had called Maura but managed to convince her she didn't need to rush to the hospital. Maura still insisted on picking Jane up so Jane wasn't surprised to see Maura enter the room with a nurse. "I thought I told you not to do anything rash," Maura said with the hint of a smile.

Jane waited for the nurse to give her the discharge instructions before responding. "I didn't do anything rash. Dean on the other hand...I thought you were going to be angry."

"Let's go," Maura said. Once they were outside and on the way to Maura's car she said. "I considered being angry. But if I was going to get angry every time you did something dangerous...I've lost too much recently. It's not worth getting angry with you about things I know you're going to do over and over again. I would end up forgiving you eventually anyway, so why waste time being angry."

Jane was quiet for most of the ride to Maura's house. When they arrived Jane said, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize-"

"No," Jane cut Maura off. "I'm not sorry that I got hurt again. I'm sorry for ever trusting Dean because that put you in danger. He was trying to connect you to O'Rourke's murder. He was looking for Doyle's BPD connection. He thought it was you and he would have killed you if he found any evidence."

Maura was momentarily shocked. "Is that why you shot him?"

"Seriously? He shot at me first. I was defending myself. But whatever, he's been arrested. He won't be bothering us anymore so he's not worth discussing any further."

Maura led Jane inside her house. "What happens now with you and your job?"

"Well, I was supposed to be on suspension and I used my service weapon, so Cavanaugh's not real happy with me right now. I'll probably get another week or two suspension or maybe paid leave. What about you?"

"I guess there's no reason for me to go back to work until you do. We could go on a vacation," Maura said with a smile.

"No, come on, your mother is still recovering, we can't go on vacation."

Maura started moving around in the kitchen to prepare food. "You are well aware that my mother is in perfectly good hands with Angela. I should probably be more specific though. I am going on a trip and I hope you come with me."

Jane shook her head. "You already have a trip planned? Why didn't you just say that? Where are you, or I guess where are we going?"

"Ireland."

"What?"

"We leave in two days."

"What?"

"What's wrong with Ireland," Maura protested. "It turns out I am Irish. I want to explore my roots now that I know what my roots are."

"But how did you plan and book an overseas trip so quickly?"

"I've got our flights and a car reservation. Other than that nothing is planned."

"So, we're just gonna go and drive around Ireland?" Jane asked.

"Okay, a little bit more than that is planned. I have been doing a little research into Hope's family and Doyle's family and I was able to go back on their paternal lines to the mid-1800s when their ancestors, my ancestors, immigrated to the United States. I don't know a lot but enough to narrow down the general area from where they probably emigrated in Ireland. I thought we could drive around those general areas."

Jane came and took hold of Maura's hands. "I didn't know this was the type of the thing you cared about."

"I didn't know either, but until recently I didn't know who my biological parents were. Now I that I know who they were I want to know more. I want to know where I come from."

"That makes sense. Okay, let's go to Ireland," Jane agreed.

Maura stepped closer to Jane and they kissed. "When we return from our trip, I think we should talk about our living arrangements."

Jane raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that a little fast?"

"I don't care. I think you should move in with me. I mean I think we should move in together and my house is obviously much better than your apartment, so I think you should move in here."

"Yeah, I noticed I didn't really get a choice about where I went when we left the hospital," Jane replied.

Maura bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry. I kind of already think of us as living together."

"This is what you're like in a relationship, huh?" Jane joked.

Maura thought for a few seconds. "No, this isn't what I'm usually like. It's you. I just want to be with you and I don't think we need to wait for anything before moving forward."

"You make some good points. How about we go on this trip and if you haven't changed your mind about wanting to live with me by the time we get back, then we'll discuss moving in together?" Jane countered.

"I can agree to that."

"You haven't said anything to my mother yet, right?" Jane asked.

Maura shook her head, "No."

Jane sighed, relieved. "Good. Don't. Now, can we please eat? I want you to tell me all about our trip and then I want to go upstairs and continue what we started this morning."

Maura kissed Jane again. "See, living together is going to be excellent."

* * *

><p><em>AN: That's it friends. Thanks for sticking with this story until the end. _


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